Former WBA champion George Groves has criticised Anthony Joshua’s decision to fight Jake Paul, accusing Matchroom CEO Eddie Hearn of selling out his fighter for financial gain, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
In an exclusive interview with FootItalia, Groves said the bout was beneath Joshua’s professional status and called for the British-Nigerian heavyweight to walk away from the contest.
“Eddie Hearn has sold AJ out. Promoters aren’t driven by the same things that fighters are driven by. They’re driven by money. The financial gain they get is their legacy,” Groves said.
“Wouldn’t it have been cool if Joshua just said, ‘f*ck that, I’m actually a professional. I’m going to fight someone who’s worthy of sharing a ring with me.’ I think it would’ve been tough for most people, but I would walk away if I was Joshua. It’s beneath me. Let someone else take the money. Let someone else sell out.”
Joshua is set to face Paul on December 19 in Miami in an eight-round bout streamed live on Netflix, with reports suggesting a $184m purse.
Despite the criticism, Groves acknowledged that Paul appears to be taking the fight seriously, assembling a formidable sparring team including Lawrence Okolie and Jared Anderson.
“I saw a picture where he actually had Okolie, Jared Anderson and then there was one other, and I was like, that’s a formidable sparring team that you’ve accumulated for the Joshua fight,” Groves said.
“But what are you doing with them? Are you doing like 12 rounds, and you’re bringing them in fresh after every couple of rounds? Or is it literally just for the picture? But if he’s doing it, then he’s leaving no stone unturned, he’s managed to get himself some top-quality sparring.”
The YouTuber-turned-boxer recently admitted his nose was broken during a sparring session ahead of the heavyweight clash.
