Former heavyweight title challenger and opponent of Anthony Joshua, Kevin Johnson, has stated that he expects the Brit to make a big comeback and show everybody ‘that it is not over’.
Johnson has been a veteran of the sport, with a professional career spanning almost twenty years – his defensive style allowing him to box into his forties.
Despite twenty-one losses to his name, ‘Kingpin’ has only been stopped on three occasions, going the distance with the likes of Tyson Fury, Vitali Klitschko, Derek Chisora, and Daniel Dubois.
Of those three stoppages, none were as decisive as his defeat to Joshua back in 2015, as ‘AJ’ ended the fight in the second round and clearly earnt the respect of Johnson in the process.
Since then, Joshua has gone on to become a two-time unified heavyweight champion, yet back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk have led to many believing that the 33-year-old’s days at the top of the sport are over.
In an interview with iFL TV, Johnson explained that Joshua will come back, just as many other legends of the sport have done before, and spoke of a potential fight between ‘AJ’ and Deontay Wilder.
“People are quick to write somebody off, but when they come back and show you ‘I told you’, then everybody came back again, it’s happened to the best of the best. AJ is going to show people that it is not over.
I knew after I fought him, that the pedigree of the game has changed. There are not these 1990’s fighters and these early 2000’s fighters.”
“If AJ lets Wilder let his hands go, there is nothing that AJ can do against that. AJ really has to box him and stay away from him. I know them both, I’ve shared the ring with Wilder for many of years and if he lets AJ come forward and let him start using that back foot, it is over early.
But if AJ can dominate boxing on Wilder, like Fury did and push Wilder back, it will be an easy night for AJ.”
With Eddie Hearn confirming Joshua’s return for spring next year, 2023 is sure to be a decisive year for the former champion as he looks to re-establish himself as the king of the division.
Joshua has headed to the United States in search of a new trainer as he approaches the pivotal point in his career.