Anthony Joshua needs more experience with Derrick James before facing Deontay Wilder, says former champion

Boxing In London: Anthony Joshua v Jermaine Franklin
Boxing In London: Anthony Joshua v Jermaine Franklin

Roy Jones believes Anthony Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder shouldn't happen next for 'AJ'.

The former two-time heavyweight champion has been out of the ring since last month. On his first return to The O2 Arena, Joshua scored a lopsided unanimous decision win over '989 Assasssin'. Following the victory, he called out Tyson Fury.

However, any hopes of a fight against 'The Gypsy King' has quickly fallen by the wayside. Instead, a potential clash against Deontay Wilder has come into focus, as Saudi Arabia is reportedly in talks with all the major heavyweights for a massive card later this year.

While the fight is still not official, it appears to be trending that way. Saudi Arabia's Amer Abdallah has acknowledged that the country is in talks with both 'The Bronze Bomber', and Joshua to fight in December. On this, Boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. believes it will take long for the Brit to get ready.

'Captain Hook' previewed the matchup in a recent interview with iD Boxing. There, Jones Jr. advised Anthony Joshua to not accept a fight with Wilder. The former champion reasoned that the British star needs time to work with new trainer Derrick James.

He stated:

“It’s a very tough fight for him. I love AJ to death and I think he’s a great fighter. But his issue right now is dealing with punches coming back at him, so you don’t want to fight Wilder... Sometimes it takes time for a fighter and trainer to get their whole aspect together. Apparently, that hasn’t happened straight away, but if they stay together, then maybe they’ll finally get some continuity, but they definitely didn't get any in that first fight."

See his comments below:

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Anthony Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder: 'AJ' confirms fight

Yes, Anthony Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder appears to be happening.

Boxing fans likely won't have high hopes for a potential heavyweight fight. It's hard to blame them, as 'AJ' and 'The Bronze Bomber' have teased that they will clash for years now.

However, the bout has never come to fruition to this point. Despite prior issues with making the matchup, it appears to be moving forward faster than ever before, mainly thanks to Saudi Arabia's renewed interest in boxing.

The country has put a lot of money towards bringing big matches to Saudi Arabia, including Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury. For his part, Anthony Joshua believes the fight is a done deal. In a recent social media video, he's seen stating:

"That's what's happening. It's public news, we're throwing it down in December. God willing [to get the win]."

See his comments below:

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