AJ: BORN TO BEAT WILD
World-beater Brit demands showdown with US fighter Champ says rival’s too much ‘wear and tear’ to worry him
ANTHONY JOSHUA reckons Deontay Wilder has too many miles on the clock to trouble him.
The WBA, WBO and IBF champ and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, are still haggling – very publicly – with 32-year-old WBC king Wilder over a potential showdown in London in April.
But the British star is convinced the wear and tear Wilder (below) will have suffered over 10 years means his reign will splutter to a halt if, or when, they finally run into each other.
Hurt
Joshua said: “He has had 40 training camps and, even if you knock each opponent out in a round, you have still gone through hundreds of rounds in your camps, miles and miles on the clock, with all the body wear and tear.
“He has been a professional since 2009 – and that is a long time. He’s been hurt by a lot of fighters and all the sparring.
“So he’s got two, maybe three, years left?”
Joshua will fight Russian hardman Alexander Povetkin at Wembley Stadium in September and has booked the 90,000-capacity venue for April 13 next year.
Joshua, 28, sent a message to his potential American opponent.
“Ultimately, put finances aside and if you believe you are better than me, you have the chance to prove it here in the UK,” he said.
“And I’ll say to all of them – Tyson Fury too – ‘If I wasn’t in the power position, I’d take less for fights’.
“When I fought Charles Martin, I took a huge reduction because I was willing to back myself.
“You have to play the game a bit. Beat me, beat me in a rematch and then you are set up to be king of the heavyweight division.”
The situation with Wilder casts a shadow over Joshua’s fight with Povetkin.
Joshua said: “Me and Wilder is the best fight in the division right now – not me and Povetkin. “I want the big one, I am looking past Povetkin now. “I want the big guns. “I’m going to walk through Povetkin and, for Wilder, the date and location is here.
“For the past seven months, I have found out what he wants in a contract, what he doesn’t want in a contract.
“Why wouldn’t you fight me if you believe you can beat me in this kind of event?”