Paul Smith believes Anthony Joshua criticism is unwarranted
We are now just days away from one of the most highly anticipated heavyweight clashes of 2024, trumped only by the May 18 undisputed showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
Joshua has the opportunity to go one-up over Fury, who despite getting the decision over Ngannou, was unable to stop or knock down the Cameroonian fighting man.
With the bout just days away, some of boxing’s biggest names have flooded social media with their predictions and opinions ahead of the bout.
Former super middleweight champion Carl Froch is one of many former fighters to come forward with strong opinions ahead of Friday’s fight. The boxer-turned-pundit has long questioned ‘AJ’s’ mental fortitude, continuing to relay his concerns just days away from the Saudi mega fight on his YouTube channel.
The outspoken former fighter said, “We already think there’s a bit of mental fragility with Anthony Joshua. We think that already because he’s tentative, he’s on his back foot, he’s looking at the floor when he is under attack, he’s holding on.
“He’s not shown me that he belongs in with somebody who is coming to win.”
However, fellow former super middleweight, Paul Smith, has felt the need to shut down Froch’s claims in an interview with Boxing Social.
“Anthony Joshua, from the first time he laced a professional boxing glove on, has had unbelievable pressure on his shoulders, and he’s had to be mentally very, very strong for that.
The loss to Ruiz to come back and win the title again, the mental strength that will have took is off the chart.
“Listen, Carl Froch was a mentally strong fighter himself, but you can’t call Anthony Joshua mentally weak when you see what he’s done in his career.
“He’s worth millions and millions. He doesn’t have to get out of bed, and he’s still doing it, he’s still turning up. He’s still motivating himself, he’s still taken challenges like this and he’s still doing it and performing. That takes a lot of mental strength in my opinion.”