Carl Froch has claimed Anthony Joshua has “no real legacy” as he questioned why the British heavyweight is still fighting.
After back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua returned to the ring in April with a comfortable but underwhelming points win over Jermaine Franklin, a performance that did little to suggest he is ready to make a swift return to boxing’s top table and become a three-time world champion.
The 33-year-old looks set to get his chance to make a more convincing statement in December, with talks ongoing over a huge-money bout with Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia, with that fight planned to take place on the undercard of an undisputed clash between Tyson Fury and Usyk.
However, Froch, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame at the end of last year, believes it is a mistake for financial gain to be Joshua’s primary drive.
“AJ is past his best and on the slide,” Froch told Sporting Post. “I don’t know where his motivation is now. It can’t be money, he says it is but he’s made a fortune. So when you’ve earned so much, how much do you need?
“AJ has had a fantastic career financially, but maybe it niggles him that he’s probably got no real legacy. He’s not in the Hall of Fame, unlike the Cobra!
“He’s not going to go down as an all-time great with the fights he’s had, losing to Ruiz and back-to-back fights with Usyk. What’s he fighting for? He said money, but money is not motivation when you’re fighting, trust me. You don’t think about money when you walk to that ring.”
Both Joshua and Wilder have confirmed their desire to fight each other at the end of the year, with the winner then potentially fighting whoever comes out on top between Fury and Usyk.
For more than five years there has been talk of Joshua and Wilder, who at one time held all the heavyweight belts between them, meeting in the ring, and Froch is confident of the outcome should the bout finally take place in December.
“I think Deontay Wilder beats Anthony Joshua in a round one knockout, because Wilder knows that AJ is gun-shy now,” Froch said.
“He knows he tries to box behind his jab, he knows he will maneuver to try and keep safe. But Wilder will get to him. In three minutes Wilder will line him up and get to him with a shot, so that fight could be over as early as round one.”
