CARL FROCH has claimed Anthony Joshua could retire if he is beaten by Oleksandr Usyk.
Joshua, 32, is seeking to reclaim his WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO titles from Usyk having lost to the Ukrainian last September.
🥊 AJ vs Usyk 2 date, live stream and TV channel for blockbuster rematch
But another loss would be Joshua’s third in five fights, after being knocked out by Andy Ruiz Jr. in June 2019.
And Froch believes another defeat could be on the cards for AJ, possibly via knockout.
The former fighter told the BBC: “If Anthony Joshua loses his rematch to Oleksandr Usyk and it’s a bad defeat – a conclusive points loss or a heavy knockout – it could be the end for AJ.
“I just don’t see where he can go after back-to-back defeats.
READ MORE IN BOXING
“I wholeheartedly want him to win and I am not totally writing him off. He has all the physical attributes, he’s big enough and strong enough, but I have to be brutally honest and say I don’t think he will win.
“If Usyk can land with the same power and accuracy as he did last time, I don’t think Joshua will hear the final bell.”
Froch is not alone in his view, with former cruiserweight Johnny Nelson echoing the idea that Joshua will have nowhere to turn if he loses again.
Nelson claims Joshua’s “fighter mentality” means he would not want to linger in the heavyweight division, so could instead hang up his gloves if he is beaten.
Most read in Boxing
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
Nelson told Sky Sports: “It’s not in his DNA to want to hang around the heavyweight division knowing there’s a guy that’s in that division that can beat you. It’s a fighter’s mentality.
“He doesn’t want to hang about to be a backing dancer he wants to be the best guy, so if Usyk beats him I reckon he’ll walk away.
“So therefore this fight is so important for his career because he knows this might be the last big fight he’s in. It’s not in his DNA to stand back and be a gatekeeper for anybody.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
