Anthony Joshua has been told he is not mentally tough enough to take on Deontay Wilder by the American's trainer Malik Scott.
The two former world heavyweight champions appear to be on a collision course this year after being unable to put a fight together when they ruled the division. But Scott, who has felt Wilder's power as a fighter when they competed in 2014 as well as in the gym during sparring, feels Joshua doesn't have what it takes to beat the former champion.
Wilder and Joshua have managed to maintain their ability to draw fans despite losing five of their last eight collective fights, three of which were brutal stoppages. And fans are still clamouring to see them test their punching power against the other, despite there now being no belts on the line.
"If it was up to me, Wilder would fight Anthony Joshua next," Scott told Kate Abdo on her podcast The Good Fight. "The mental strength right now may not be there because he lost two times to a smaller guy. So, to go against that specimen called Deontay Wilder, you may need to build yourself up to take on that kind of fight, and I get it.
"But the advantages and the things I see Deontay doing to whatever AJ shows up – mentally tough, not mentally tough – it’s a three-round fight in my opinion. He can’t get out the way. Deontay’s just not a guy that’s a big guy that punches hard but he’s slow, he's not a guy that punches hard but there's distance - no, it comes fast, if you can’t get out the way of it you’re in trouble. And I believe AJ is in trouble is he signs the contract."
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It appears Joshua will ease himself back into boxing after two consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk in his most recent fights. Promoter Eddie Hearn expects him to return in April against an opponent at the lower end of the top 15 before rematching Dillian Whyte this summer and facing someone like Wilder at the end of the year.
“He wants to return to return with a Top 15 guy,” Hearn told The DAZN Boxing Show. “Then in the summer probably versus Dillian Whyte and then a mega-fight with Deontay Wilder. The plan now is to rebuild him to become a three-time heavyweight world champion.
"It's all very well being brave, listening to Twitter, going out and fighting Deontay Wilder. But there has to be a plan, a smart plan. We are down to three or four opponents [for April]. He is ready to start camp and will likely start that camp this week. Honestly, I couldn’t give Anthony Joshua an opponent he will turn down. It’s all about putting together the right training team.”
