Anthony Joshua shouldn’t have agreed to fighting Tyson Fury’s ex-opponent Otto Wallin, according to his old rival Jarrell Miller.
Former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua fights Wallin on December 23 in Saudi Arabia, as Deontay Wider is also in action against Joseph Parker. Joshua and Wilder are both hoping wins against their respective opponents later this month will set up a fight between them having been linked to meet in the ring for almost a decade.
Miller, who fights Daniel Dubois at the same event, thinks Joshua will be in for a tough night against Wallin. The Swede is mostly known for his fight against Fury back in 2019 as the Brit, who won by decision, came close to suffering his first loss when he sustained a nasty cut above his eye.
“I feel honestly that AJ might have made a mistake with picking Otto Wallin. Even though Otto Wallin is not a one-punch knockout kind of guy, he is durable and he comes to fight. He is not a quitter and it is going to be a tough fight for AJ. I don’t think that it is going to be easy at all,” Miller told SecondsOut.
“The mental state that AJ has, is he going to hold up? When he fights in the UK he has a little more oomph in his step. When he fights outside the UK, we don’t get the same fiery person, the playing ground is going to be a little more even in Saudi. I wish all of the luck to Wallin. I want to really be the one to knock out AJ but may the best man win, it is what it is.”
Miller came close to fighting Joshua four years ago but he failed a drug test and was replaced by Andy Ruiz Jr. ‘AJ’ then lost his world titles in a shocking knockout loss to Ruiz Jr, but managed to win them back in their rematch later that year. Joshua and Miller reignited their feud in a fiery press conference that took place last month ahead of for their upcoming fights.
“I tell you one thing though, we all know that AJ doesn’t want any smoke with Deontay. I almost kicked his a** last time, as much as I don’t like Deontay I know he will put that motherf***er in the grave. He can either fight Deontay and go to the grave or fight me and go to the hospital,” Miller said.
“Miller shut the f*** up, don’t start with me you know. I will come over there and slap you, I saw you brought your mum over here because she needs her rent paid. F****ng clown. Miller, you are not doing nothing to me. Watch your mouth because I will come over there and shut it for you,” Joshua replied.
