David Price gave his expert opinion on Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder
Betway spoke to former heavyweight champion David Price who previewed the possibility of a showdown between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder for 2024.Despite leaning towards Deontay Wilder, the Liverpool hero has given AJ a good chance of winning if he can fight at the range that suits him.
Hear what he had to say…
How would the fight between Wilder and AJ go down?
DP: "I do think Wilder’s the favourite going into it simply because he's less of a thinker. I don't think he's a deep thinker like Anthony Joshua is. Deep thinking before or during rounds in the boxing fight can hinder you. He’s an overthinker, Anthony Joshua; but he’s got to get in and just let his hands go. Of course, it’s easier said than done – people said it to me for years, but I had the poisoned chalice of being an overthinking, a bit of a perfectionist, and wanting everything to be technically great.
"Whereas Deontay Wilder is just a functional, effective fighter. He doesn't care if he looks a million dollars or if he looks like Floyd Mayweather; all he cares about is winning the fight any way possible – a bit like Tyson Fury, but with a different style. That’s why he gets so many knockouts because he's not gun shy at all. He doesn't care what's coming back; all he cares about is going after the opponent, and that’s why I think he's the favourite.
"You definitely cannot write Anthony Joshua off in that fight because what he has got, that Wilder hasn’t, is the up-close firepower – the short-range to mid-range punch and Anthony Joshua wins in that range every time against Deontay Wilder, and probably against most heavyweights, if not all of them. His uppercut, left hook, and right hook got him so many devastating knockouts early on in his career and could do the damage against Deontay Wilder.
"On the other hand, I think Wilder's quicker as a long-range puncher. He's not carrying as much muscle mass. I think that the long right hands will beat Anthony Joshua to the punch, along with the jab as well. But I think if Joshua is in that mid-range and can start landing heavy blows, he's got a great chance.
"You've got to favour Deontay Wilder, based on the more recent form and his carefree attitude, in my opinion. But that being said, he's being in three grueling fights with Tyson Fury that might have taken something off him. It might have put miles on the clock. We didn't see evidence of it against Robert Helenius because it was over within a round, but 3, 4, 6 rounds deep into a fight with AJ, and he might show signs of those three fights – we’ll find out."
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