By Terence Dooley
Eddie Hearn has admitted that Anthony Joshua has taken a big gamble as well as a step up after agreeing to challenge Charles Martin for the IBF heavyweight title at London’s O2 Arena on April 9. The fight was announced on Sunday and the 26-year-old was immediately installed as a 7-1 favourite by the bookies.
Hearn, though, sounded a note of caution when talking to David Anderson of the Daily Mirror. “It's come two or three fights too early and we didn't expect to fight for the word title now, but this is the situation,” he revealed.
“We probably would not have looked to fight a 6ft 5ins, awkward southpaw like him, so it is a risk. It was a difficult decision and I just said to Anthony's people, make your decision on can you beat Charles Martin? If you think you can, then you have to take this fight, and Joshua was in like that!”
The 26-year-old Londoner is 15-0 (15), he settled a local rivalry with Dillian Whyte courtesy of a seventh-round KO win in December to pick up the vacant British belt.
Martin won the vacant IBF title by stopping Vyacheslav Glazkov in three—the previously undefeated Ukrainian dislocated his right knee when slipping to the canvas in what became the final stanza.
A win over Martin (23-0-1, 21 early) means he would be in line for tricky defences against the likes of Bryant Jennings and Bermane Stiverne; however, Hearn has also stated that his charge will happily take on all comers should he win the title.
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