Anthony Joshua responds to Deontay Wilder KO prediction and slams Tyson Fury

Anthony Joshua has dismissed the threat of Deontay Wilder after the American claimed he would knock out the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight champion in ‘devastating fashion’.

Wilder will attempt to resurrect his career when he faces Tyson Fury for a third time in Las Vegas on July 24.

The pair shared a thrilling draw in their first bout in 2018, before Fury produced a superb performance to beat Wilder in seven rounds two years later.

Wilder, 35, wants to begin talks for an undisputed world heavyweight title clash with Joshua if he regains the WBC title against Fury and recently promised to knockout AJ.

‘Most definitely, hands down [I want the Joshua fight],’ Wilder said. ‘Without no excuses, no mandatories, nothing in the way.

‘As I see, they already making up excuses. They already got a mandatory planned ahead. No one really wants to fight someone like me, and I don’t blame them.’

Responding to Wilder’s comments, Joshua vowed to expose the American if they ever share a ring and said he ‘isn’t an elite-level fighter’.

He told Sky Sports: ‘He isn’t an elite-level fighter, in my opinion. He’s good. It’s the heavyweights, so they always know one punch can change the course of a fight.

‘But I’ve never, ever seen in the heavyweight division a fighter going to war with just one weapon, which is what they say is his right hand.

‘When you get to the top level? Trust me, that don’t last anymore. That don’t work.

‘As we’ve seen now with certain fights of elite-level fighters, he struggles at the top level, and there’s a lot more of us waiting for that opportunity as well to kick his ass.’

Joshua has also accused Fury of ‘letting the boxing world down’ after talks over the pair’s much-anticipated undisputed championship fight broke down.

Earlier this month, a court arbitration in the US ruled that Fury must fight Wilder next, causing the collapse of the all-British match-up against Joshua.

‘Unfortunately his team let the whole boxing world down,’ Joshua said, before discussing a potential future fight with Fury.

‘I will still be here, still ready to put on a show. End of the year. Let me get past Usyk first. But with or without Usyk in my life, I will fight Fury.

‘Usyk isn’t the be-all and end-all. Usyk doesn’t determine the Fury fight. The Fury fight has to happen. It’s a big fight, bigger than boxing, bigger than the belts.

‘It will happen. After the Usyk fight, after I defend my belts. The fight will be bigger, better than what it would have been.’

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