Anthony Joshua’s career at the top level is over, a former wold champion has claimed.
Joshua faces YouTuber-turned-boxer, Jake Paul in a professional heavyweight contest at the Kaseya Center in Miami next Friday, live on Netflix.
The 36-year-old has been out of the ring for almost 15 months, suffering a fifth round defeat to Daniel Dubois in his last outing in September 2024.
Despite a potential, long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury possible in 2026, former super middleweight world champion, Carl Froch believes his days at the highest level are finished.
“I think AJ’s professional boxing career is over,” the 48-year-old said to Games Hub.
“And I think fighting Jake Paul shows how much it’s over.
“I don’t care what Eddie Hearn says about he wants an eight round warm up fight.
“He wants to fight him. He is ranked in the top 100 and then go on to become a world champion.
“AJ’s taking the Jake Paul fight because he’s cashing out.”
Joshua’s defeat to Dubois was his fourth professional loss, having previously fallen short against Andy Ruiz Jr and twice to Oleksandr Usyk.
Despite believing that the Watford man is looking to cash out, Froch admits he can’t blame him given the success he’s achieved throughout his 12-career career.
“And who can blame him?” he added.
“He’s been a two-time world champ.
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“He’s fought the best of the best and he only fell short against Usyk twice.
“He didn’t win the fight, but he was in there with the best, probably one of the all time greats and then he tried again.
“And he got banjo’d by Daniel Dubois who can punch like a f**king mule.”
‘AJ’ cannot weigh in any more than 245 pounds at Thursday’s weigh in, over seven pounds less than he weighed in against Dubois.
Paul has won six on the spin since a sole defeat to Tommy Fury, outpointing Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in his last bout in June.
‘The Problem Child’ is at least a 6/1 underdog to pull off what would be the upset of the year and one of the biggest in recent memory.
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