When will Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder see each other in the ring? Not much to report on that. But their animosity continues to take shape outside the ring. While negotiations between the fighters remain afloat, in fresh developments, Wilder has come out brutally against his much-anticipated opponent. In scathing claims, Wilder has tagged AJ “mentally weak,” when it comes to fighting him.
On December 23rd, both fighters will undertake their respective fights at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. While AJ will go against Otto Wallin, Wilder will take his fight against Joseph Parker on the same card. Despite their 7 years of umpteen efforts, another year passes without fans getting to see them clash. However, promises by their team have been made for an early 2024 fight. As these promises comfort boxing enthusiasts, their off-ring battle keeps them warm.
Deontay Wilder Calls Anthony Joshua “Mentally Weak”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
In a candid conversation with iFL TV, ‘The Bronze Bomber’ took a swipe at AJ, calling him mentally weak for dodging a fight with him all these years. He noted, “I’ve always thought Joshua was mentally weak, this has not just started. I’ve always thought he had a very weak mentality. Especially when it comes to fighting me, it’s no secret.”
At this point, Wilder seems in no mood to let go of the AJ fight. In such enthusiasm, he even claimed the results of AJ’s Wallin fight would not impact their clash. Meaning, even if the British heavyweight, Joshua loses to Wallin on the 23rd, Wilder will still fight him.
In a conversation with The Last Stand Podcast, he remarked, “Win, lose or draw, he still gets it. Of course if we both win it makes it that more interesting and better on paper. I think he is going to win and I’m definitely going to win, then we can finally get this fight once and for all. That is the plan and everything is moving forward with the plan.”
Deontay Wilder is not the only one to have claimed that AJ is mentally weak. His upcoming opponent, Wallin too had similar things to say about Joshua.
Otto Wallin thinks AJ is on the decline
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
In a conversation with Daily Mail’s boxing podcast, The Hook doubled down on what Wilder had to say about AJ recently. While he did see his upcoming opponent as one of the best heavyweights of this era, he also suggested that AJ’s decline has begun.“There has been a decline and I think he has reached his peak already. I think he is mentally fragile, he’s not sure of himself,” noted Wallin.
Is the pressure of being an elite fighter getting to AJ? Wallin nodded in affirmative. He said, “He’s changed trainer and I think things can be very tough for him. People are very critical of him, he’s got a lot of pressure. So I think that weighs on him.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
With no belt on his marquee, Anthony Joshua’s relevance in the boxing realm stands at an uncertain juncture. His saving grace? A victory against Wallin, and the much-awaited Wilder clash. Will AJ resurrect his career to loss? What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below.
Watch This Story: Everything You Need To Know About Upcoming Saudi Arabia Fight Card Including Dmitry Bivol, Deontay Wilder And Anthony Joshua