Former super middleweight champion Carl Froch is warning Anthony Joshua to stay away from fighting the dangerous Deontay Wilder for his interim contest in May or June.
Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) needs an opponent to stay busy while he waits on IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk to return from the warzone in his native Ukraine.
While Joshua’s promoter has offered him safer choices that are more fitting for an interim fight, AJ is telling him that he wants Deontay Wilder, Joe Joyce, or possibly Otto Wallin next.
Luckily for Joshua, Wilder (42-2-1, 41 KOs) isn’t expected to take him up on his offer for a fight because he’s deciding still whether to continue his career following his knockout loss at the hands of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury last October.
Froch: Joshua shouldn’t fight Deontay
“I like the [Luis] Ortiz, but I’m not sure about the [Otto] Wallin fight,” said Carl Froch to Boxing Social on who Anthony Joshua should fight next for his interim contest while he waits for Oleksandr Usyk.
“The Deontay Wilder fight, what a great fight. That’s exciting,” said Froch. “Wilder is a mad puncher. I think that’s a dangerous fight that maybe AJ shouldn’t be looking at. I’m not saying he can’t win. It’s a big fight that I would love to see.
Bloody hell. AJ-Deontay Wilder, yes, please. I’ll have some of that. Who else? [Luis] Ortiz? He’s past best and getting on a bit, but still provides a great fight for AJ, so I’d like to see that one.
“Business point of view, don’t fight Deontay Wilder because you’re probably going to get chinned. He’s a massive puncher,” said Froch to Intu Boxing in warning Joshua to stay away from Wilder for his interim fight.
“There’s a chance you’ll get chinned. If you catch one on the chin, you’re going over,” Froch said in giving Joshua a stern warning about the dangers that come from fighting the massive puncher Deontay Wilder.
“I don’t care if your name is Anthony Joshua or whatever your name is in the heavyweight division. He can knock you out with one punch. Tyson Fury nearly found that out a couple of times.
“So, yeah, I understand why Eddie Hearn said it’s a dangerous fight, but it’s a great fight for the fans. Go on and jump in there with Deontay Wilder, we all want to see it,” said Froch.
If Wilder wasn’t so fabulously wealthy from his three fights against Fury and his five-year reign as the WBC champion from 2015 to 2020, he’d likely jump at the chance to fight Joshua and make millions.
Wilder isn’t in need of money, though, and he’s probably not going to take the fight with Joshua, even though it would be the quickest route for him to get a lucrative fourth match with Fury.
Joe Joyce = great option for Joshua
“This is brilliant, but I love the Joe Joyce fight,” said Froch. “Joe Joyce, great fight, The Juggernaut. I ready something where he [Joshua] said he’ll knock him out in a round. No, he won’t. That’s a great fight, but he won’t be knocking him out in a round. Nobody can knock Joe Joyce out in a round.
“I don’t think anybody can knock him out full stop, even if they had a lump hammer in the glove. Joe Joyce is solid, he’s a tough fight for anyone. That’s a fight that I would want to see. That’s the fight that we should be pushing for actually,” said Froch about Joshua.
“Ortiz is past his best, a bit too old. He’s a great fighter and gives him [Joshua] problems, but the Joe Joyce fight. Give Joe Joyce the fight. Listen, I’d say don’t fight Joe Joyce because that’s a dangerous fight, a fight that you could lose.
“Don’t forget, I’ve seen these two guys [Joshua and Joyce] sparring hundreds of rounds in the England squad, and I know what went off. I’m not going to divulge what went off, but this is not a one-round knockout job, let me tell you.
“I don’t think anybody can knockout Joe Joyce in one round. He’s too tough, too fit. If AJ says he can do him, then back it up, and let’s see it. What a great fight that is. Joe Joyce deserves his shot.
“There’s a promotional divide, though. AJ knows the truth about Joe Joyce, and I don’t think that’ll happen. But that’s one that I’d call for. It would be for the fans and for himself. Put your money where your mouth is,” said Froch.
