It has been claimed that Anthony Joshua is not in the right state of mind over his domestic dispute with Danielle Dubois.
Joshua will try to become a three-time heavyweight champion on Saturday night when he challenges Dubois for the IBF heavyweight title at Wembley.
The 34-year-old is in blistering form on home turf having scored three KOs in his last four fights, the last of which was a sensational stoppage of former UFC champion Francis Ngannou.
But his performance after two consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk did nothing to convince Carl Froch that he was ready to face a world-class boxer again.
during an appearance Stephen Hendry’s YouTube channelThe former super-middleweight champion said of Dubois: “He’s actually in better form than AJ.”
“Because they beat a guy named (Jermaine) Franklin, who is a nobody. And a guy named (Robert) Helenius.”
When asked if Saturday night’s defeat would end Joshua’s career, Froch said: “I think so.
“And he beat a guy called Otto Wallin and I don’t know if you saw it or not, but he fought UFC fighter Francis Ngannou.
“So, since being beaten twice by Usyk he has fought four times and hasn’t been tested.
“And I think his mind is not in the right place right now where he can feel confident playing against a real world champion.”
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Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois: Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the huge world title fight at Wembley
Froch believes AJ can take on Dubois if he doesn’t let the gravity of the occasion get to him and attacks the former two-time champion from the opening bell.
“What has AJ done since then?” he asked. “He’s fought three or four guys who didn’t even try.
“There are four guys who are here to get paid. And you can’t even say Ngannou is a good fighter.
“I know Ngannou gave Fury a good fight, but Fury wasn’t ready for that. He was definitely ready.
“AJ came in there and beat Ngannou up. Hit him with a right hand first and Ngannou fell on his back. But that gives you a false sense of security.
“I think Dubois will team up with him and beat him. If he believes in himself, Dubois, and he beats him, you could see AJ in some trouble.”
A loss to Dubois would not only end Joshua’s dream of becoming a three-time champion, but would also potentially put the final nail in the coffin of his big fight with Tyson Fury.
But Froch believes a loss to Dubois could be the end of AJ’s illustrious career.
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He added: “It’s a moment for Dubois to shine or a moment to learn the hard way. But he’ll get paid well, it’s a big opportunity.”
“But he has such a great opportunity. If he beats A.J., I think that’s the end of A.J. A.J. is over.”
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