Eddie Hearn feared Anthony Joshua’s dad was going to ‘chin’ him in the ring after his shock loss to Andy Ruiz Jr
EDDIE HEARN thought Anthony Joshua’s raging dad Robert was about to “chin” him after his son lost to Andy Ruiz Jr. Joshua’s dad was fuming after his son was dethroned of the unified heavyweight titles at Madison Square Garden by 25-1 underdog Ruiz. The 19st Snickers loving Mexican-American had AJ on the deck four times […]
EDDIE HEARN thought Anthony Joshua’s raging dad Robert was about to “chin” him after his son lost to Andy Ruiz Jr.
Joshua’s dad was fuming after his son was dethroned of the unified heavyweight titles at Madison Square Garden by 25-1 underdog Ruiz.
The 19st Snickers loving Mexican-American had AJ on the deck four times before the seventh round stoppage – leaving dad Robert incensed.
Footage captured Robert confronting Joshua’s promoter Hearn in the ring after the fight and AJ had to intervene to calm his dad down.
One week after the shock loss and Hearn told iFL TV he believed Joshua’s dad was about to punch him in the middle of the ring in New York.
Hearn said: “We don’t talk, like ever, and it was a bit of a shock and at the time, like I said on Chris Mannix’s interview the other day, I was looking at (Joshua’s Dad) and thinking ‘He might chin me now!’
“It was one of those things where he was about to chin me, and I was thinking lets just talk after because I didn’t want that kind of situation in the ring.
“Back in the changing room it started with another few team members with him and Frank (Smith) as well.”
Rumours emerged that Joshua’s dad was unhappy with Hearn because the Brit superstar had suffered a panic attack before the fight and was also knocked out in sparring.
However, Hearn rubbished any rumours AJ was dropped in sparring or suffered a panic attack pre-fight – also explaining Joshua’s dad would not have had this information anyway.
Hearn said: “He was gunning for everybody but unfortunately I got copped on TV.
“Basically, I got in the ring after the fight, I went over to his dad – I don’t know his dad. He comes to all the fights.
“When he wins we cuddle and he says ‘Thank you’.
“I went over and he was talking about the referee, he was talking to other people as well about the early stoppage, what he felt.
It was just he was really emotional and he was having a go at five or six people in the ring, unfortunately for me I was bang on TV and I don’t know what he did that.
Hearn on Joshua's dad
“Then he started talking about the house that AJ was in. AJ likes to be in a house, he hates being in hotels.
“The job of the management part of his company will take care of all that for him. He was in a beautiful house.
“But this was an emotional time for his dad, so he said about the house, the chef, and that point I said ‘Look, let’s talk after’.
“Then when I went round the back he started again and Josh went just said ‘Dad, it’s me, it’s on me, I lost, no one else’s fault’. That was all that was said.
“He’s not in camp is he? He wouldn’t know what happened in the changing room before the fight, what happened in the camp at all.
“It was just he was really emotional and he was having a go at five or six people in the ring, unfortunately for me I was bang on TV and I don’t know what he did that.
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“He said he was unhappy with the house, the set up of the house, with the referee, a whole load of stuff.”
Joshua is set to rematch Ruiz in November or December though the venue in which the second fight takes place has not yet been determined.
AJ shared pictures on Instagram revealing he is already training in preparation for his must-win rematch.
