- Sep 5, 2018
- 1,048
- 824
In 2018 Anthony Joshua was 22-0, held three of the four major titles and his manager Eddie Hearn claimed they 'ruled' the heavyweight division. Everyone else was B side according to Hearn and he was talking 20/80 and 30/70 splits.
Hearn had the biggest drawing and most marketable heavyweight on the planet and seemed to be enjoying the status and limelight every bit as much as Joshua did, not to mention the money.
Hearn talked like Joshua was invincible. He certainly thought their position at the top of the division was and unless you came cap in hand, accepted a lopsided split and then managed to topple Joshua, that's the way things were going to stay.
But then the gravy train hit a fork in the road and not long after that suffered a temporarily derailment.
The first hiccup occurred when Hearn appeared to try and bully a few power brokers who had been around a lot longer and considered themselves, perhaps rightfully, a lot wiser. Shelly Finkel, Bob Arum and Frank Warren weren't going to willingly dance to Hearn's tune. After a marathon long and very public negotiation saga, Joshua-Wilder never got made. But Hearn still appeared to hold all the aces as far as plan B's went.
Then along came Warren-Finkel-Arum with their masterstroke, Wilder-Fury, followed by Wilder-Fury II.
In the meantime, Joshua dropped the ball against Ruiz. He was able to pick it up again in the rematch.
But here we are in 2020 and unlike 2018 we no longer have one heavyweight king, we have two, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Hearn had the biggest drawing and most marketable heavyweight on the planet and seemed to be enjoying the status and limelight every bit as much as Joshua did, not to mention the money.
Hearn talked like Joshua was invincible. He certainly thought their position at the top of the division was and unless you came cap in hand, accepted a lopsided split and then managed to topple Joshua, that's the way things were going to stay.
But then the gravy train hit a fork in the road and not long after that suffered a temporarily derailment.
The first hiccup occurred when Hearn appeared to try and bully a few power brokers who had been around a lot longer and considered themselves, perhaps rightfully, a lot wiser. Shelly Finkel, Bob Arum and Frank Warren weren't going to willingly dance to Hearn's tune. After a marathon long and very public negotiation saga, Joshua-Wilder never got made. But Hearn still appeared to hold all the aces as far as plan B's went.
Then along came Warren-Finkel-Arum with their masterstroke, Wilder-Fury, followed by Wilder-Fury II.
In the meantime, Joshua dropped the ball against Ruiz. He was able to pick it up again in the rematch.
But here we are in 2020 and unlike 2018 we no longer have one heavyweight king, we have two, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
