Eddie Hearn Criticizes Anthony Joshua for Not Taking Recovery Time After Low Blow by Daniel Dubois

Hearn points to Joshua’s ‘inexperience’ in failing to use full recovery time during heavyweight clash.

British sports promoter Eddie Hearn has voiced his criticism of Anthony Joshua for not taking advantage of the recovery period after suffering a low blow in his bout against Daniel Dubois. The fight, held at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, saw Dubois deliver a dominant performance, stopping Joshua in just five rounds in front of a packed crowd of 96,000.

During the fight, a brief pause occurred when Dubois hit Joshua with a low blow in the fourth round. Referee Marcus McDonnell quickly intervened, halting the match with over 90 seconds left in the round and issuing a warning to Dubois for the illegal punch. Under boxing rules, Joshua was entitled to up to five minutes to recover from the hit.

However, Joshua chose not to take the full recovery time, prompting criticism from Hearn, who felt that the 34-year-old fighter missed a vital opportunity to regain his composure. “That is actually a little bit of inexperience from Joshua,” Hearn said, according to Metro UK. “At that point when he couldn’t stand up, he’s been hit full blown in the conkers, all he’s got to do to the ref is [say] but that is not him.”

Hearn further expressed his frustration, saying, “People talk about him taking the knee, spitting a gumshield out, listen, when Daniel Dubois hit him in the nuts in the third or fourth round, I’m screaming at AJ to take the full five minutes.”

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Joshua’s failure to fully utilize the recovery time may have affected his performance, as Dubois continued his onslaught and secured victory in the following round.