Carl Frampton has spoken out about the possibility of a clash between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, and admits he’d be concerned for Joshua going into that fight.
There have been incessant rumours this week that ‘AJ’ and Wilder will meet in Saudi Arabia towards the back end of the year, as part of a blockbuster heavyweight tournament that will also feature Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk.
When speaking to IFL TV, Frampton said he still felt Joshua was “a bit hesitant” for a fighter as dangerous as ‘The Bronze Bomber.’
“His [Wilder’s] right hand can just kill people. I was there when he fought Luis Ortiz, and he lost every second of the fight, and he hits him a shot on the forehead. Normally, if you hit someone on the forehead, it breaks your hand.”
“But it knocked Luis Ortiz out.”
“I think AJ’s still a bit hesitant for someone like Wilder, and it would be a very dangerous fight for him.”
Joshua had been expected to be back in the ring this July, however he revealed on social media last week that his next bout would not be until December.
Promoter Eddie Hearn, who has brought two Anthony Joshua fights to Saudi Arabia already, confirmed this week that talks with representatives from the Kingdom were already underway, and that there was a stunning desire to stage Joshua vs Wilder and Fury vs Usyk on the same night.
Many Joshua backers would have hoped for him to have at least one more fight under new coach Derrick James before jumping in with the likes of Wilder, however this now looks unlikely to be the case.