“I Don’t Think Deontay Wilder Has Been Taught to Box on his Back Foot”- Anthony Joshua

Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury collided for the second time in February of this year. Unlike their first bout, Fury dominated the match from the beginning. British boxer, Anthony Joshua claims that he can repeat what Fury did.

In one of the most anticipated rematches in boxing history, Tyson fury annihilated Deontay Wilder for seven straight rounds. Eventually, Wilder’s corner was forced to throw in the towel, and save the former WBC champion.

In their first match, Fury discovered a vulnerability—inability to fight on the back foot— in Wilder’s game. However, it was too late by then, as the match had progressed into the final round. The second fight made all the difference; Fury heavily pressurized Wilder and forced Wilder to fight on the backfoot.

Anthony Joshua Criticizes Deontay Wilder

British boxer Anthony Joshua weighed in on the fight and criticized Wilder as a boxer. He believes that the ‘Bronze Bomber’ has insufficient tools in his repertoire to compete at the highest level.

“When you go to war, you can’t have one weapon in your arsenal – his right hand. So once that was taken away from him, which Fury did, he was able to annihilate Wilder and expose him for some of his weaknesses.” Joshua told Sky Sports.

Joshua, who is on a collision course with Kubrat Pulev later this year, claims he could have done a better job than Fury in the first match.

“In terms of doing something similar, I wouldn’t have done what he (Fury) done in the first fight,” he added. “Maybe I would have probably taken it to Deontay Wilder a bit more because I don’t think Deontay Wilder has been taught to box on his back foot.”

Furthermore, Joshua praised Fury for his performance against Wilder and is waiting for the trilogy. As of now, the third fight has been postponed to 3 October 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The landscape of the heavyweight division is about to change. The upcoming fights—Fury vs Wilder 3, Joshua vs Pulev—will decide the fate of the division. If Joshua and Fury can secure victories in their respective matches, we might finally get to see Fury vs Joshua. And possibly crown the greatest heavyweight boxer of this generation.

What are your thoughts on Joshua’s comments?