Former cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson has described Nigerian-born British boxer Anthony Joshua as โdoneโ and lacking what it takes to regain his world heavyweight titles.
Johnny Nelsonโs comment is coming after former British champions Carl Froch claimed that Anthony Joshua would leave the sport of boxing having achieved โno real legacyโ and will only be remembered for โlosing to a fat Mexican kid in Andy Ruiz.โ
Nelson, a guest on Simon Jordanโs โUp Frontโ podcast, agreed with Carl Froch noting that Joshua has proven that he has nothing more to offer which was why he could not fight over three months after his last fight.
He also claimed that even though Anthony Joshua, 33, has a lot of experience in the ring, he still makes rookie mistakes.
Johnny Nelson said, โI do now (think heโs done) and I donโt like saying it because I like AJ and people will see that and say โheโs out of orderโ.
โWhen Iโm asked about AJ I give an honest answer but the thing is time tells its own story. I was asked when he boxed Usyk the last time when I was out in Saudi, โWhat do you think will happen if he loses?โ and I said โIf Anthony Joshua loses, heโll walk away.โ
โI said that because the problem is heโs not going to be able to handle not being a world champion and now youโre seeing the breakdown. At one point he was boxing in three months, and now heโs boxing in December. Remember itโs the first time heโs had such a backlash from a fight that heโs won (against Jermaine Franklin).โ
He added, โThe reason why I say it now (heโs done) is because Anthony Joshua has been through every experience going, heโs a 33-year-old man. Heโs not a boy turning into a man, heโs a man and heโs still making boyish mistakes. Heโs a former two-time heavyweight champion of the world but heโs still making these rookie mistakes now at 33 years old.โ
Joshua had already given the impression that he was prepared to face Deontay Wilder this December as โAJโ vs. Wilder and Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk have been scheduled to take place on the same night in Saudi Arabia.
Fury has revealed, however, that, in an unforeseen turn of events, Joshuaโs management has been given a โdraft contractโ for a planned British blockbuster at Wembley in September.