EDDIE HEARN wouldn’t risk putting Anthony Joshua within “ten feet”; of Joe Joyce at this stage of his career, it’s been claimed.
A domestic dust-up with his former sparring partner is a possibility for Joshua’s next outing following his consecutive defeats to pound-for-pound king Oleksandr Usyk .
But boxing legend Teddy Atlas believes Joyce’s “concussive”; power will put Joshua and Hearn off the tasty tussle.
During a recent episode of his The Fight podcas t, the former trainer said: “There is no way on God’s Earth - no way - that Joshua and his promoter are getting within.
“They wouldn’t get within a ten-foot pole of Joyce in that boxing ring. No way.”;
WBC heavyweight king Tyson Fury has tipped stablemate Joyce to run through Joshua should the fight come to fruition.
He told iFL TV : “I think so, I think he [Joyce] wipes the floor with Joshua anyway.”;
Joyce catapulted himself into the upper echelons of the division in September with a sensational 11th-round TKO victory over former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker.
And Atlas, the former trainer of Mike Tyson , has been thoroughly impressed by what he’s seen of the Juggernaut since he turned pro.
He said: “I’ve been saying this guy’s a player. This guy’s got a chin of granite.
“He reminds me of a younger Foreman - although I gotta be careful with that because he is 38 years old.
“But Joyce reminds me of George Foreman when he was in his first life before the comeback.
“Just a big guy, a ponderous puncher, a concussive puncher.
“Not a snappy puncher ... just a blunting type puncher that does damage.
“He’s big. He’s relentless. As I said, he’s got a great heart, great chin so far.
“I’ve been calling for this guy to be in there instead of some of the other guys to get the shot.”;
Joshua, 33, is set to return to the ring in late March - although an opponent for his comeback fight has yet to be finalised.
Joyce, meanwhile, is hoping to return to action in March also.
