In his most recent match against Robert Helenius at London’s O2 Arena, Anthony Joshua secured a triumphant victory through a knockout. Nevertheless, Carl Froch voiced his dissatisfaction regarding Joshua’s performance.
While Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, expressed contentment with the win, Froch expressed that he expected a way better performance from the British heavyweight superstar on that night.
Carl Froch rejects Eddie Hearn’s claims on Anthony Joshua
After the win, Hearn mentioned that while AJ could have shown more aggression, he praised Joshua’s footwork, defense, and strategic approach. Eddie believes that with this evolved style, Joshua has the potential to overcome any opponent, even including Deontay Wilder.
Carl Froch believes that if Anthony Joshua fights Deontay Wilder next then he is doing it "purely for the money" đź’°
Do you think Joshua should have another warm-up fight before Wilder? 🤔#AnthonyJoshua | #DeontayWilder | #CarlFroch pic.twitter.com/JEvyov4IAI
— IFL TV (@IFLTV) August 19, 2023
Meanwhile, speaking to iFL TV, Carl strongly criticized Joshua, describing his performance as poor. The former super middleweight world champion highlighted Joshua’s display fell far short of expectations, particularly for someone of his caliber in the world of boxing.
“For me, it was a 5/10 performance. Okay, he got the job done, he knocked out Helenius in Round 7 with a decent [shot]. Helenius was exhausted by that point, which is why I thought the knockout came.” Carl said.
‘The Cobra’ believes Helenius wasn’t defeated by the knockout blow, but mainly due to exhaustion. After being struck by the impactful shot and going down, The Nordic Nightmare likely realized his chances of victory were gone and he rather decided to accept the defeat.
A lot of you asked so here it is.
My thoughts on the performance of AJ beating Helenius and the addition of McGregor! 🥊👯‍♀️🕺🏻https://t.co/T5ARhUaLXM pic.twitter.com/7Bz13yim37— Carl Froch MBE (@Carl_Froch) August 19, 2023
Carl Froch predicts Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder bout results
Contrary to Hearn’s perspective, the ex-super middleweight boxer disagrees, stating that Joshua’s improved attributes such as distance control, footwork, and timing displayed in the Helenius fight won’t have any meaningful effect when facing Deontay Wilder.
“[Hearn is] building his man up, fair play to him, but that performance was not good enough to go anywhere near Deontay Wilder in his next fight unless he’s happy to get slaughtered for the money.” Carl added.
Looks like we’re getting closer to getting Deontay Wilder(43-2-1, 42 KO’s) vs Anthony Joshua(26-3, 23 KO’s) in January in Saudi Arabia. If it gets made next what’s your prediction? 🇺🇸🇬🇧🥊
Bosun Tijani Emefiele Minister Of FCT pic.twitter.com/BtbFMOoWfm
— Regency Reporters (@Regency_NG) August 17, 2023
Anticipating a significant bout against The Bronze Bomber in Saudi Arabia this December, Joshua had his sights set on a showdown with Dillian Whyte initially as part of his preparation for the major fight. However, due to Dillian’s unavailability, Helenius emerged as the replacement in the eleventh hour.
Do you think Anthony Joshua will be back in his prime form against Deontay Wilder? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section.
