Anthony Joshua has been told by accomplished boxing trainer Dominic Ingle that he doesn't have the ability to beat Deontay Wilder.
Joshua, 33, has been linked to a highly-anticipated fight against Wilder at the end of the year in Saudi Arabia - with Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk also potentially featuring on the monumental card. Ingle has backed Wilder to win the potential mega-fight as he doesn't think Joshua has a "reckless" side in him.
“The way Wilder is, he’s reckless when he fights and Anthony Joshua isn’t. He’s got the reach, he’s got the recklessness, he’ll throw caution to the wind, he’s got the power and he’ll get off the floor and he’ll fight. He’s also boxed Tyson Fury three times, something Joshua hasn’t done," Ingle told Boxing King Media.
Wilder's boxing technique has been criticised throughout his career but Ingle feels 'The Bronze Bomber' doesn't get the credit he deserves. “You’ve got to give him full credit for how he [Wilder] is. I think it’d be a very difficult job for Anthony Joshua to beat Deontay Wilder. Very difficult. I don’t think he has the ability to."
Joshua picked up his first win in over two years by beating Jermaine Franklin in February, although the Brit's performance was largely unconvincing. 'AJ' has been advised to pursue a rematch against familiar foe Dillian Whyte before facing Wilder, but Whyte doesn't think his old rival wants the fight.
Who wins in the potential heavyweight showdown - Anthony Joshua or Deontay Wilder? Let us know your prediction in the comments section below
“Joshua isn’t the golden goose anymore, the sport doesn’t revolve around him," Whyte told The Sun. “Him and his people don’t seem to realise it but duck me again and lose to Wilder in December and he and his team — that know so much but do so little — are finished." Whyte beat Joshua over a decade ago in the amateur ranks but 'AJ' went on to avenge the loss in their professional rematch in 2015.
Whyte added of a potential rematch: “I want the fight. I know that DAZN want the fight, too, because it would be an absolutely huge event. The only problem we all have is Joshua. He has confidence issues and is afraid to take the fight. He doesn’t want to risk his retirement payday in Saudi Arabia against Wilder — who is also past his sell-by date."
