"It's an uphill battle" - Anthony Joshua publicly warned ahead of next bout

John Fury has some interesting thoughts about Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin.

This Saturday night in Saudi Arabia, 'AJ' will return to the boxing ring. Back for the first time since a knockout victory over Robert Helenius in August, he will face the rising Wallin. 'All In' is undefeated since a loss to Tyson Fury in 2019.

The bout is a very, very important one for the former champion. Slated for the co-main of the DAZN pay-per-view event is Deontay Wilder vs. Joseph Parker. If 'The Bronze Bomber' wins, as does Joshua, the two heavyweights are expected to meet next spring.

John Fury believes that Anthony Joshua's next fight could be a very rough one. Speaking in a recent interview with Boxing Social, the father of Tyson Fury previewed the heavyweight bout. There, he warned 'AJ' not to overlook Wallin.

Given that his son nearly suffered an upset loss to Wallin in 2019, 'Big John' understands how one can overlook the Swede. Speaking in the interview, Fury stated:

"He's a 6'5' southpaw, he's a game kid, and for mine, he's got one of the best trainers in the world in his corner, in Joey Gamache. So at the end of the day, it's an uphill battle. Can 'AJ' pull it off? He can. But, he's going to get tested like he's never been tested before."

Check out his comments in the video below (17:00):

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Anthony Joshua swears that he's not overlooking Otto Wallin

If one listens to Anthony Joshua, he's well aware of the task ahead of him.

Given his massive bout with Deontay Wilder expected for March, there's a lot riding on this weekend's event. Both men need wins, and 'The Bronze Bomber' has already admitted that he's undertaking a massive risk by fighting.

For his part, the British boxer largely agrees. While Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin came together on short notice, 'AJ' has scouted his opponent a lot. Speaking in a recent interview with Boxing Scene, he was asked about the perception that he could be overlooking 'All In'.

There, Joshua stated that couldn't be any further from the truth. He stated:

"The Wilder fight’s big for sure, and it’s always good to have a view of the landscape in front of you. But my main focus is Wallin, so in terms of his thoughts about Wilder, I have no comment on that because my main focus is on my opponent. And he’s got a chance. Every fighter’s got a chance."