Roy Jones: Joshua needs to work with James before Wilder fight

Roy Jones. Getty Images

Roy Jones Jr. would like to see the fight Anthony Joshua (25-3, 22 KOs) with Deontay Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs), but advises AJ to gain experience and develop chemistry with new coach ...

It is not yet known whether the Englishman will appear in the ring earlier in the summer or wait until the end of the year without risking losing a multi-million dollar contract. But the former P4P leader is advising the two-time world heavyweight champion to have another intermediate fight with a less demanding opponent.

“Joshua is a great fighter, I love him, but the fight with Wilder is a big challenge for him. His problem is that he takes hits on himself, so Wilder is the last opponent you can do that to. So AJ needs to focus on that. Sometimes an athlete needs a little more time to get to know a new coach. It doesn’t happen right away, but if the boxer and the trainer spend more time with each other and communicate well, everything starts to fall into place. So I hope that Joshua before Wilder will face someone who is not a puncher like Wilder and get along with the coach," Jones Jr. said.