Shakur Stevenson predicts that former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder will knockout Anthony Joshua when or if they fight early next year.
Stevenson believes that Joshua (26-3, 23 KOs) is currently “lost” and “desperately changing trainers repeatedly” in a search for someone to save his “sinking career.”
Joshua has seemed mentally shot since he lost to Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019 and seems afraid to return to the aggressive style that brought him success.
Since his rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr. in December 2019, Anthony Joshua has adopted a more safety-first fighting style, reminiscent of Wladimir Klitschko. This style has made him more vulnerable to losing, as he moves around and throws fewer punches, giving his opponents more opportunities to land punches and win the fight.
None of Joshua’s recent trainers have been able to help him improve his boxing skills. He looks just as vulnerable as he did when he was trained by Rob McCracken. In fact, he may even look worse now, as evidenced by his last two performances against Robert Helenius and Jermaine Franklin. Derrick James, who is currently training Joshua out of Dallas, Texas, does not seem to be a good fit for him.
Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, is eager to match him against Deontay Wilder and then Tyson Fury. Some boxing fans believe that this is a cash-out move for Joshua, who could retire after these fights and live comfortably off his estimated $300 million fortune.
“Wilder (will win) by knockout. I like Joshua, but he seems lost right now, changing trainers. He seems like he’s looking for somebody to help his career, and I feel like he probably should be the one helping his own career,” Stevenson told 2ndWindPod, predicting a knockout win for Deontay Wilder over the faded, “lost” Anthony Joshua.
“Yeah, Wilder, he punches so hard. Imagine street fighting him. Wilder is a beast, man,” Stevenson added.
Some believe that Anthony Joshua’s recent fight against Robert Helenius on August 12was a trial run for how he will fight Deontay Wilder next year. Joshua used a lot of movement and threw only single punches in that fight, which some believe is a strategy he will employ against Wilder.
Interestingly, after the fight, Hearn mentioned that Joshua might fight someone else next instead of Wilder. He said that if the negotiations are not completed within three weeks, they might have to move on to another opponent. This comment by Hearn was interpreted as a sign that he is getting cold feet, and that he realizes that Joshua is not mentally ready to step inside the ring with Wilder and risk getting knocked out.