Former champion accuses Anthony Joshua of "being lost" ahead of Deontay Wilder fight
Shakur Stevenson believes Anthony Joshua is lost heading into December.
'AJ' is fresh off his return opposite Robert Helenius earlier this month in the U.K. While originally slated to face Dillian Whyte, he instead fought 'The Nordic Nightmare' after a failed drug test. Despite the short-notice replacement, the Brit wasn't phased.
In his return earlier this month, the former champion scored a highlight-reel knockout. While Helenius fought well early on, a picture-perfect right hand from Joshua put him out cold in the seventh round. With that, he's expected to now face Deontay Wilder.
While not finalized, Anthony Joshua is expected to fight 'The Bronze Bomber' in Saudi Arabia. Ahead of the December clash, Shakur Stevenson gave his thoughts. In an interview with the 2nd Wind Podcast, the lightweight contender previewed the fight.
In the interview, the former champion admitted that he was fearful for Joshua. In fact, Stevenson has predicted a knockout win for Wilder. Previewing the bout on the podcast, Stevenson opined:
“Wilder by knockout. I like Joshua, but he seems lost right now. 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.”
Catch Stevenson's comments from 26:45 onwards:
Anthony Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder: Eddie Hearn provides update
Eddie Hearn believes Anthony Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder will be announced shortly.
'AJ' and 'The Bronze Bomber' have long attempted to book a fight in December. Saudi Skill Challenge was first meant to have the two heavyweights in the co-main event of Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury. However, they couldn't make that bout with 'The Gypsy King'.
As a result, the two heavyweight contenders are instead slated to headline their own Winter event. According to Eddie Hearn, both Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are locked in for December. As of now, it's all up to Saudi Arabia.
However, the Matchroom executive is confident. Having flown out to Saudi Arabia three times, Hearn believes that the heavyweight clash could be announced in the coming weeks. Speaking to Boxing Social, he stated:
“[I think it will be finalized in] two or three weeks. I’ve been to Saudi Arabia twice to negotiate this fight. I’ve had two meetings, three meetings in London. I’m not doing it for banter. My instructions from Anthony Joshua [are] ‘I want to fight Deontay Wilder.’ The only way this fight doesn’t happen is if Saudi doesn’t deliver the fight."