Anthony Joshua is ‘mentally fragile’ and in ‘decline’ next opponent Otto Wallin claims on The Hook, with the Swede insisting AJ ‘knows he’s vulnerable’ and switching coaches again is a bad sign.
Anthony Joshua is ‘mentally fragile’ and is on a clear decline his December 23rd opponent Otto Wallin has told Mail Sport’s boxing podcast, The Hook.
Wallin will face-off against AJ on the star-studded card in Saudi Arabia looking for the biggest win of his career against the two-time heavyweight champion of the world.
The Swede turned heads in 2019 when he took Tyson Fury the distance and caused the Gypsy King to require 47 stiches for a cut above his eye.
That Fury defeat is still the only one of his career and with 26 wins to his name, he represents a dangerous a tricky foe for Joshua.
AJ remains focused on his desire to win another world title, but Wallin believes a physical and mental decline in the Brit is already evident.
Wallin believes Joshua isn’t the force that he used to be and now is the perfect time to fight him
‘I would say he is still one of the best heavyweights out there and he’s made an amazing career for himself,’ Wallin started.
‘There has been a decline and I think he has reached his peak already. I think he is mentally fragile, he’s not sure of himself. He’s changed trainer and I think things can be very tough for him. People are very critical of him, he’s got a lot of pressure. So I think that weighs on him.’
Joshua is now on his fourth trainer in as many years since splitting from Robert McCracken.
Ben Davidson, a man who previously worked with Fury, is the latest coach to get a chance, but none of Robert Garcia, Derrick James or Angel Fernandez could not make it work.
‘I think it’s a problem for him, for sure,’ Wallin said of AJ switching coaches. ‘I’ve had my trainer now for 10 years.
‘We know each other really well. We trust each other in and out of the ring. He’s been with me for all of my pro fights except two, so it’s really been a good journey together and it’s fantastic we get this chance now to prove to everyone what we’ve been working on.
Wallin gave Tyson Fury plenty of problems when they clashed in the US back in 2019
‘For Joshua, it’s hard. When you keep changing trainer, it’s usually a bad sign and I think it’s a bad sign for him too.’
Although Joshua is only one year older than Wallin at 34, he’s spent a lot longer at the top of the sport.
Wallin believes AJ is not the frightening prospect he once was and he is getting his chance against one of the division’s marquee names at the right time.
‘I think it’s the perfect time to face AJ. He was a seek and destroy kind of guy, he was very aggressive.
‘When he first started, he had a short amateur career. He was knocking people out. Turned pro, knocking everybody out. Knocked [Wladimir] Klitschko out. And I think he felt invincible, pretty much.
The Swede remains one of the most dangerous heavyweights in the division with 14 KOs
Wallin insists Joshua’s decline started when Andy Ruiz Jr made him realise he’s not invincible
‘And then he lost to Ruiz, he got stopped. He lost to Usyk twice. I think he knows now that he’s vulnerable.
‘He knows he can lose and he can get hurt and he doesn’t like that. He doesn’t like getting hit or getting hurt. He cares a lot about what people think of him and I think it’s hard for him when people are being critical or there are boos in the crowd, I think that’s really hard for him,’ Wallin insisted.
Should Joshua win, he’d find himself on a collision course with Filip Hrgovic at the top of the IBF rankings.
Should that belt be vacated by Oleksandr Usyk if the IBF enforce a mandatory challenger, Joshua will see that as his quickest route back to a world title and big money, unification fights.
