Wilder: Joshua Has Lost The Respect Of The Heavyweight Division

Anthony Joshua no longer has the respect of the heavyweight division.
That is according to Deontay Wilder. The Bronze Bomber’s comments touched upon the interaction between the rest of the heavyweights and Joshua during their ‘Day of Reckoning’ kick-off press conference. Jarrell Miller, who was once in line to face Joshua before failing more than one test, accused the Brit of ducking Wilder. Both Miller and Joshua then traded words.
The face-off between Joshua and Otto Wallin also raised questions about AJ’s mentality. Joshua appeared to lose his cool with Wallin when the latter seemed happy at getting the opportunity to fight on a big card.
Wilder remained calm as he respected Joshua by praising the fighter, but looking back, the American made many observations about what he saw.
Wilder On AJ
“At the press conference, I didn’t need to say much about Anthony Joshua. Everyone, especially Jarrell Miller, had already said plenty. Even though I’m not a fan of Miller, he hit the nail on the head about Joshua. With him saying that, there was no need for me to add anything.
“It felt like a bunch of guys were already targeting him. AJ seems to have lost the respect he once had. Now, with a few losses under his belt, everyone sees him as beatable and doesn’t hesitate to talk smack. That must be tough for him, going from widely respected to this. When I’m around him, I sense it,” Wilder said
Joshua’s plan is still to become a three-time champion. But in order to do that, he must come through Wallin and then potentially Wilder to gain the respect of the division once again. Wilder and Joshua were first linked with fighting each other in 2018. Since then, both sides have accused each other for the breakdown of the fight. But a Joshua win over Wilder would silence those critics as the American was confident about the fight being made.
AJ Vs. Wilder
“As of now, I don’t see anything preventing our fight with AJ. The only thing that might derail it is if either of us loses on December 23. But all the previous issues, like disagreements with his manager and promoter, don’t seem to be a problem anymore. Everyone seems on the same page. If we both win on December 23, everyone can look forward to an exciting 2024 with Wilder vs. Joshua,” Wilder stated
One factor that prevented Wilder and Joshua’s fight was the tough negotiations. Wilder’s camp made a reported $50 million offer, which was not followed up. This was because Joshua’s team was required to accept the offer first before a contract was sent. That failed to happen as the contract never got sent. Wilder has now blamed Joshua’s camp for not wanting the fight.
“Money hasn’t been the issue. It comes with not having the heart, the will, the courage to step in the ring. I don’t really just blame it on Joshua. I blame it on his handlers, on his promotion and his management. Because let’s face it Joshua is the cash cow of the company. Without him, no money is drawn into Matchroom. We all know that. Not only do I feel Joshua is intimidated of me, but I feel his promoter is as well. That’s why the fight hasn’t happened,” Wilder revealed
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