19 December 2023 , 11:50
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Anthony Joshua has insisted anyone criticising his dedication to boxing is "chatting s***".
Joshua is preparing to take on Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia this weekend knowing victory should guarantee him a money-spinning clash with Deontay Wilder next year. He has struggled for consistency since losing his world title to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021, switching trainers to first Robert Garcia and then Derrick James.
Joshua is also working with Tyson Fury's ex-coach Ben Davison for this weekend's bout after deciding not to travel to Dallas for his training camp. The Brit was heavily criticised by Garcia who was brought in for Joshua's rematch with Usyk last year.
The American hit out at Joshua's mentality while former world champion Carl Froch has also criticised Joshua for splitting from former coach Rob McCracken who also trained the Nottingham man. But Joshua insists his critics are wrong.
"I was thinking the other day, 'It will be interesting to hear what Ben has to say about me'," he said. "Because some of my trainers have said that I am not dedicated and I don’t work hard. But I have been around enough coaches now and if you did a survey you would probably get more proper answers than people that are chatting s***."
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Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn, meanwhile, believes the best is still to come for Joshua, who will step into the ring for a third time this year after victories against Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius. Hearn said: “This is a tough fight. We saw (Wallin) against Tyson Fury, he’s a good southpaw and we have seen something different from AJ.
“I think the best chapter is still to write for AJ. He changed the face of Saudi boxing and this is a challenge he wants to take. He wants to be heavyweight champion again and I think this will be a destructive performance from him.” Hearn talked up a potential showdown between Joshua and Wilder next year, saying: “Wilder is potentially a massive fight to bring in 2024. “This lines everything up for AJ and this lines up his whole career. I can’t wait to see him shine on December 23.”