Eddie Hearn says Fury 'looked petrified' as Frank Warren says Joshua has 'inner doubts'

Hearn, Joshua's promoter, calls the fight a 50-50 and says Joshua has to go and get Fury. Warren says Fury is "well in front" and in the top three.

By Combat Sports UK Staff · Published Wed 14 Oct, 10:06 UK · AI-assisted reporting

Eddie Hearn speaking in a DAZN interview about Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua — Image: DAZN

Eddie Hearn says Tyson Fury "looked petrified" at times against Arslanbek Makhmudov, while Frank Warren believes Anthony Joshua "has his inner doubts at times about fights" before the pair meet in Cardiff on 11 December.

Warren, who promotes Fury, told DAZN that Joshua had been pushed in both his fights since losing to Daniel Dubois. "Jake Paul actually gave him a little bit of a fight, I thought, which surprised me," Warren said. "And then he fought Prenga. And Prenga was winning the fight before he pulled it out of the bag and he had him in trouble in the first round."

"I think AJ has his inner doubts at times about fights," he added. "So I think Tyson's well in front of him and Tyson's probably, you know, he's in the top three at the moment."

Joshua was knocked down twice in the first round by Albania's Kristian Prenga in Jeddah in July before knocking him out in the second. Hearn, Joshua's promoter, said he thought it was the end. "In my mind, right then, career over. How do you come back from that?" he said. "It was probably the most dramatic, what, four, four and a half minutes I've ever seen in a ring."

But Hearn said Fury had shown his own weaknesses. Fury beat Makhmudov on points at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in April, then stopped Mariusz Wach after seven rounds in a tune-up in Thailand in July.

"Tyson Fury at times looked petrified against Makhmudov," Hearn said. "He would never admit it. But when he charged him down, he did not look comfortable at all, even against Mariusz Wach."

His message to Joshua: "You've got to go and get him, mate. You've got to go and get him. Stick that right hand right on his chin. And when you do, you'll knock him spark out."

"We're not going to get the Tyson Fury who fought Makhmudov or Wach," Hearn said. "And they're not going to get the Anthony Joshua that fought Kristian Prenga. Everything in their soul will come down to this fight because they want to win so bad. This is bragging rights of generational proportions."

Hearn admitted Fury "has proved me wrong" a number of times, but called the fight even. "I've never wanted to win a fight so bad," he said. "And it is a 50-50. I think there's no doubt about it. I see it as that. But I think if AJ does what I know he can do and what he needs to do, he wins this fight."

Fury vs Joshua is on Friday 11 December at the Principality Stadium, with the WBA 'super' heavyweight title on the line. It is live on Netflix; UK start times are on our Fury vs Joshua page.