Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder have reportedly agreed in principle to face off next year should both win on December 23, but Carl Froch believes the Brit in his current state will be an underdog.
Joshua faces Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia this month on the same card that Wilder boxes Joesph Parker. A long-awaited fight between the two former champions is said to be next if they both emerge victorious.
Speaking on Froch on Fighting, ‘The Cobra’ said that Joshua’s much-discussed mindset is what makes him the underdog for now, but did point out that a statement performance against Wallin, who previously took Tyson Fury the distance, can change that.
“If Wilder fought AJ in their next fight I’d make Wilder the favourite, and that’s just because where AJ is mentally and where he needs to be. After the Otto Wallin fight on the 23rd of December, Anthony Joshua might prove to me that he’s got some of that aggression and some of that raw, old school mindset where he goes for the kill … He was one of the best finishing heavyweights in the business.”
Froch has been even stronger in his view in the past, saying that Wilder stops Joshua in one round.
The American knockout artist has only fought once – and for less than three minutes – in the space of two years, so his Parker fight poses its own risks.
It’s no secret that both men are meant to win and win in style come December 23 though, and fans can expect a fight announcement perhaps straight after should that be the case.