Carl Froch Exclusive: Anthony Joshua has no real legacy

Sporting Post sits down to chat to boxing legend Carl Froch in an exclusive interview - covering his views on Anthony Joshua, Andy Ruiz and why he styles himself as the Roy Keane of boxing.

Deontay Wilder KOs Anthony Joshua in round one - he’s been gun-shy since Andy Ruiz

Carl Froch: I think Deontay Wilder beats Anthony Joshua in a round one knockout, because Wilder knows that AJ is gun-shy now. He knows he tries to box behind his jab, he knows he will manoeuvre to try and keep safe. But Wilder will get to him. In three minutes Wilder will line him up and get to him with a shot, so that fight could be over as early as round one. AJ has been fighting gun-shy now since the Andy Ruiz fight, where he chinned him.

The rematch with Ruiz was box and move, every time Ruiz got nicked he grabbed hold of him, looked down and looked for cover. He’s tried to outbox Usyk who’s not a big puncher, he’s not a heavyweight. Then in the rematch he had a bit more of a go, but when he had a go he ran out of steam again.

So I can’t really confidently say AJ has a chance against Wilder, and I’m not giving him stick for the sake of it, I just think Wilder catches him with a shot and when he does, it’s over. It’s definitely a KO win for Wilder, it could be as early as round one.

AJ has had a fantastic career financially, but maybe it niggles him that he’s probably got no real legacy.

Carl Froch

AJ has no real legacy but he doesn’t have to retire

Carl Froch: Joshua doesn’t need to retire but I would say that AJ is past his best and on the slide. I don’t know where his motivation is now. It can’t be money, he says it is but he’s made a fortune. So when you’ve earned so much, how much do you need? That’s one of the reasons I retired, because I’d earned enough money and I thought I’ve got everything I want, so why am I going to get punched in the head and risk getting injured? I’ve got kids and there’s risk and reward.

AJ has had a fantastic career financially, but maybe it niggles him that he’s probably got no real legacy. He’s not in the Hall of Fame, unlike the Cobra! Not to have a dig at him but you have to look at yourself as a fighter and ask, why am I in the game? Am I in the game to make a fortune? Of course I am if I can do it and be one of the lucky ones, one of the few who get out the game financially free with their health intact and he’s done that.

But he’s not going to go down as an all-time great with the fights he’s had, losing to Ruiz and back-to-back fights with Usyk. What does he want? What’s he fighting for? He said money, but money is not motivation when you’re fighting, trust me. You don’t think about money when you walk to that ring. If you do it’s a bad attitude and you don’t perform, you perform from wanting to be world champion and wanting to perform for yourself and fans to get a legacy, to be a Hall of Famer, you have to be in love with the sport.

AJ’s win in rematch over Andy Ruiz was horrible and I was just honest

Carl Froch: After the Ruiz rematch in Saudi, I did a couple of interviews. Before the fight I said I need to see something different, show some aggression and some of his old self, like when he beat Dillian Whyte and got hit with that left hook but went for it. Then with Klitschko he got put on the canvas and then got off the canvas, although I’m not sure what Klitschko was doing, the finish was there but he just didn’t throw the punches. Maybe he changed his style to become a little more defence first.

Even so, AJ recovered and got a stoppage and that was a great, tenacious comeback. He had a brilliant attitude, trying to let his punches go, not worried about how pretty he looked just getting in there and putting combinations together. He used to be a brilliant finisher, AJ, but since the Ruiz fight and that loss, he came back and I said I want to see him not just outbox Ruiz, but go for him like he used to early on.

I was out in Saudi that night and it was horrible to watch, it was just boring. He just boxed, moved and got out of the way. Fair enough he did what he had to win, and he came home with his belts intact, he was world champion again. But when I lost to Kessler and I fought Abraham, I was outboxing Abraham for four or five rounds and then I had him on the ropes and I tried to smash his head in. I wanted to beat him and show everyone I belong at this level, so I went for the finish late.

But AJ just boxed and moved and kept out of the way, and I thought if he wants to fight Fury, that performance was not good enough. He was in against a 20st fat boy from Mexico, who had overeaten and not trained, and I thought this is a disgrace. He’s beat AJ and now in a rematch he’s not even trained. And AJ just kept out the way, boxed and moved.

I try to be like the Roy Keane of boxing and people give me that title, and if it’s because I’m honest, sometimes brutally honest, then I’ll take that as a compliment.

Carl Froch

AJ sent me some DMs but then deleted them

Carl Froch: Because I was honest in my opinion, in the build-up and said I want to see AJ get in there and outbox Ruiz for five or six rounds, then demolish him and show the heavyweights he means business. So I did an interview after and I just said I wasn’t impressed, I didn’t think it was good enough. To get in there and outbox someone who’s 20st, I just think that’s not proving anything to the other heavyweights. And because I was honest, and said that the performance was just a boxing lesson, and I needed to see more I think that upset him.

So that evening I got messages on my phone, but they had been deleted, it said ‘AJ has deleted the messages’. I got four deleted messages and a missed call. I messaged him back and said ‘have you got something to say? Well done last night, what’s happening?’ It wasn’t horrible, AJ’s bigger than me!

But I got nothing back, and when I saw him next he said ‘alright trouble, how you doing?’ He was polite, he’s a nice guy and I like him. He has a nice character about him. He obviously had nothing to say, but then he didn’t say it. He obviously didn’t fancy a roll around on the cobbles with the Cobra. So I don’t quite know what that was to be honest, he messaged me but he’s got over it, he said hello at the Franklin fight.

I’m the Roy Keane of boxing

Carl Froch: I try to be like the Roy Keane of boxing and people give me that title, and if it’s because I’m honest, sometimes brutally honest, then I’ll take that as a compliment.

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