"It's not a fight we're looking at" - Eddie Hearn rejects callout from potential Anthony Joshua opponent
Don't expect to see Anthony Joshua standing across from Jarrel Miller this August.
'AJ' has been out of the ring since an April decision win over Jermaine Franklin. Following the victory, he called for a clash with Tyson Fury, as well as a rematch with Dillian Whyte. In December 2015, Joshua scored a knockout win over 'The Body Snatcher'.
Matchroom Boxing zeroed in on the rematch. However, they quickly encountered issues, as Joshua showed a disinterest in the fight on social media. While Eddie Hearn later stated that 'AJ' badly wanted the fight, the promoter announced that the rematch wasn't happening earlier this week.
Following his announcement, Jarrell Miller took to social media and called out Anthony Joshua. The two were famously booked to clash back in 2019, but 'Big Baby' tested positive for multiple banned substances. As a result, he was suspended for years.
However, he's since returned to the ring and scored multiple wins. That being said, Eddie Hearn remains uninterested in the fight for Anthony Joshua. In a recent interview with Boxing Social, he stated:
"No. It's not a fight I'd consider at the moment. I've never discussed the Jarrell Miller fight with 'AJ', now. So I understand that it can be a big fight. Do I rule it out forever? I don't think it would be wise to rule anything out forever. Obviously, I don't like what happened."
Eddie Hearn gives Anthony Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder update
According to Eddie Hearn, Anthony Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder will be official soon.
While 'AJ' is still looking to compete in August, that seems to be more of a tune-up than anything else. It's likely intended to prepare him for his long-awaited fight with 'The Bronze Bomber'.
The two are expected to clash in December in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, the Skills Challenge promoted card also aims to hold Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury on the same night in the main event. Eddie Hearn has also revealed that Francis Ngannou could also be added to the event.
In an interview with The DAZN Boxing Show, Eddie Hearn revealed:
"When Prince Khalid and those guys tell me it’s done, it’s happening, I believe them. I didn’t believe them at first for the Andy Ruiz fight but I quickly realized that these guys are real. We hope to get, contractually, everything [with the fight] signed off in the next one-to-two weeks.”