MATCHROOM chief Eddie Hearn slammed people for criticizing Anthony Joshua. He claimed that the Brit heavyweight "made boxing the size of it is".
Hearn, 43 years old, also took aim at Sky, AJ's former broadcast partner.
Eddie Hearn has slammed those who have criticized Anthony Joshua
AJ faces Oleksandr Usyk at their eagerly awaited rematch on Saturday
Joshua, a Watford fighter, hopes to be crowned a three-time champion of the world when he faces Oleksandr Usyk, a Saudi Arabian wrestler.
AJ was criticized for his defeat to the Ukrainian in the first round last year. Some pundits suggested that he could RETIRE boxing if he loses this weekend's rematch.
Hearn, however, has criticized his fighter and made a dig at Sky. Hearn suggested that AJ was responsible for much of their success.
Joshua signed a massive PS100million deal with Sky to sign for DAZN. However, the former have already paid PS25m for Saturday's fight in the UK.
Hearn stated that "I don’t like the fact Anthony Joshua’s done so much for this sport, a lot people want to turn back and not appreciate the man’s accomplishments and the important role he played for us all."
"Without Anthony Joshua and me, Matchroom we wouldn't be where we are today."
"Many people wouldn't want to work at Sky, and I'm telling ya now, I don't even think Sky would boxing. So let's give credit to this young man.
"Without him, there wouldn’t be YouTube channels interested in the sport and you wouldn’t have the businesses flying around the globe."
AJ vs Usyk 2, confirmed fight time, TV, and live stream information for Saturday's blockbuster
Hearn later credited Joshua with making boxing a sport that sells out arenas around the globe for big pay-per-view fights.
Over 60,000 people attended Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September to witness AJ defeated by Usyk. 90,000 watched Wladimir Klitschko win at Wembley 2017.
Hearn said, "He has made boxing the way it is now. We need to be grateful for him and show him respect."
"He's an exceptional individual, he competes, he wins, and I take it personally whenever I see people make little comments about my company, rather than about the man who helped them so much."
