Deontay Wilder 43-2-1 (42) would make light work of Anthony Joshua 26-3 (23) if they ever fought.
Former WBC heavyweight champion Wilder has long been linked to a potential bout against two-time former WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight champion Joshua but so far the bout has failed to come to fruition.
In an effort to build up hype for the fight both Joshua and Wilder will appear on the same card at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 23.
Britain’s Joshua, 34, will face Swedish southpaw Otto Wallin 26-1 (14) while American Wilder, 38, will clash with former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker 33-3 (23) of New Zealand.
If Joshua and Wilder are victorious they are expected to be matched in the first half of next year, again backed by Saudi money.
Retired former world champion Carl Froch sees the fight going only one way and it doesn’t look good for his countryman.
“Deontay Wilder knocks him spark out in one round, I’ve always said that and I still think it is true,” Froch said to The Zone podcast.
“Wilder would come out in the first round looking for AJ, who is tentative at the best of times, but he is now afraid of his own shadow these days. I think Wilder catches him with a bomb that lands on his chin and he goes down and just does not get up.
“Whether he can get up or not, he won’t want to. That’s the reason these two aren’t fighting now, because if that happens his career is over and the curtain comes down for good. However, if he gets his head right, he can definitely win that fight.”
Joshua has been criticised for his cautious approach to boxing ever since his shock seventh-round knockout loss to Andy Ruiz Jr 35-2 (22) at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden in June 2019.
Following his points loss to former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk 21-0 (14) in their first fight in September 2021, Joshua split from longtime trainer Rob McCracken, replacing him with Robert Garcia.
That partnership lasted exactly one fight, the rematch against Ukrainian southpaw Usyk that Joshua again lost on points.
Garcia was replaced by Derrick James for Joshua’s next two fights. For the Wallin fight Joshua will be trained by Ben Davison in what he insists is a temporary measure as he did not want to relocate to Texas to train for this bout.
Froch has long been critical of Joshua’s coaching choices and didn’t miss the opportunity to reiterate his position.
“He’s with Ben Davison now as his trainer, Rob McCracken should be his trainer because he would get his head right for that fight, but the respect has gone now so they will never get back together again,” Froch said.
“The old AJ that brawled with Dillian Whyte, knocked out Wladimir Klitschko after getting knocked down and busted up Carlos Takam after getting his nose butted can definitely win that fight and do a job there because Deontay Wilder and AJ has got the Olympic pedigree so he can go and outbox him.”
