“I wasn’t impressed with Wilder, but I was more impressed than I thought I would be,” Hearn told Fight Hub TV in his post-fight interview.
Hearn acknowledged improvement, then immediately limited it. Saying he was “more impressed than I thought,” he essentially admits his expectations for Wilder were at rock bottom.
Hearn is definitely holding back. If he goes full analyst and destroys the show, he kills the pay-per-view value of a potential Joshua vs. Wilder fight. By keeping it “not impressed” he retains an ounce of dignity for the match while internally he probably feels very confident that AJ is handling this version of Wilder with ease.
He’s basically saying that Wilder is good enough to be a major opponent, but no longer good enough to be a real threat to the top tier.
One of the strangest moments last night was Wilder taking pity on Chisora in the 9th round, even telling him to “live for his children.” While that’s noble on a human level, it’s the opposite of what Hearn needs to sell a fight against Joshua.
Hearn needs the “Bronze Bomber,” the guy who wants to see a body in the ring. A “compassionate” Wilder who hesitates to pull the trigger is much harder to market as a threat to AJ.
Wilder’s performance was not exactly vintage. He looked hesitant, and his timing was off for large stretches. While he still possesses that equalizer in his right hand, the ability to set it up against world-class opposition seems to be fading.
Hearn knows that if he takes this fight now, Joshua is a huge favorite. If the fans don’t believe Wilder can win, the Pay-Per-View numbers won’t reach the heights Hearn needs to justify the massive purses both men would demand.
