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‘He’ll probably get chinned’ – Carl Froch warns Anthony Joshua to stay away from interim fight against Deontay Wilder
Carl Froch is advising Anthony Joshua to stay away from Deontay Wilder when picking his opponent for an interim fight if his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk is delayed.
AJ has a contractually-bound second fight with Usyk, the man he lost his WBA (super), IBO, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles to in September of last year.
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However, Usyk has returned home to Ukraine to held fend off the Russian invasion and his team have indicated to Eddie Hearn they’ll need more time. Therefore, the originally intended dates of May or June are off the table.
Joshua still intends to fight in that timeframe and has shortlisted potential opponents for Hearn that include former WBC heavyweight champion Wilder, Joe Joyce, former Tyson Fury foe Otto Wallin and the veteran Luis Ortiz.
According to Hearn, Wilder would be AJ’s top choice but Froch, a former three-time super-middleweight champion, says Joshua should stay away from Wilder, even though he’d love to see it.
“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 ahead of Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan.
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“There’s a chance you’ll get chinned. If you catch one on the chin, you’re going over,” Froch said
“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.
Froch said in interviews on the day that he believes Joshua is capable of winning the fight, it’s just the risk that it represents.
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Either way, Joshua has the rematch with Usyk set in stone, but what would another loss do to the two-time heavyweight champion’s legacy and star power?
Then again, nobody could accuse Joshua of ducking fights or not seeking the best challengers if he did take on Wilder, the same way he decided not to sidestep Usyk in the first place.
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