No such bout has yet been announced, but talks are underway for a December event in Saudi Arabia. AJ recently returned with a points win over Jermain Franklin, but not everyone was impressed with his performance, least of all the Cobras of Nottingham.
“Joshua should not retire, although his best period is definitely behind him. I don't know, where does his motivation come from now? There is definitely no money, because he has already earned a lot of it. And when you earn so much, why do you need even more? That's why I ended my career. AJ has had a great career financially, but he has no real legacy, perhaps that's what keeps him going. He is not a Hall of Famer, he has done too little for this. He needs to look in the mirror and ask himself why is he still in boxing? He will definitely not go down in boxing history as one of the greatest heavyweight champions after what Ruiz did to him in his first fight and after two consecutive losses to Usyk. So why does he need boxing? You fight for fame, legacy, and the Hall of Fame, and to do that, you have to love the sport. Money is not a real motivator,” said Froch.
“If it comes to the fight with Wilder, Joshua will be knocked out in the first round. He has lost confidence in himself, and Wilder knows it. He also knows that AJ will try to box behind the left straight, safely and without risk. In my opinion, in the first three minutes, he will catch him with his blow. And if that happens, everything will be over in the first round. After a knockout at the hands of Ruiz, AJ lost confidence in himself and is no longer the same fighter that he was before. In the first fight with Usyk, he tried to box with the Ukrainian, despite the fact that he was not a puncher. In the rematch, he finally fought more boldly, but when he got the chance, he ran out of gas and lost faith. I find it hard to believe that he has a chance against Wilder. If I had to bet, I think Wilder's first punch would end this fight, maybe in the first round."
Ahead of a possible Wilder clash, AJ would first like to return in late July or early August with a lower-class fighter. The Englishman, a former two-time world heavyweight champion, has been working with a new coach, Derrick James, for several months now.