Anthony Joshua’s upcoming fight in Saudi Arabia is ‘NOT good enough’ argues Alex McCarthy on Mail Sport’s podcast The Hook… as he insists ‘there’s no good reason’ for him not to face Deontay Wilder on December 23

• Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder fight different opponents on the same night
• Mail Sport’s Alex McCarthy says there’s no reason for them not to fight in Saudi
• John Fury: Tyson has to change everything or else Usyk will give him big trouble – Listen to Tyson’s dad on The Hook – The Hook

Anthony Joshua’s fight in Saudi Arabia on December 23 is ‘not good enough,’ Mail Sport’s Alex McCarthy has told The Hook.

The British heavyweight and Deontay Wilder are both in action on the mega-show that will take place in Saudi Arabia in just under a month’s time.

However, a dream showdown between two of the best heavyweights of the modern era won’t take place, as Joshua will instead fight Otto Wallin and Wilder goes up against Joseph Parker. 

Speaking on The Hook podcast, Tyson Fury’s father John, said that Joshua ‘needs to earn his stripes’ by fighting Wilder to prove that he’s ‘worthy’ to fight the Gypsy King.

Reacting to Fury’s comments, McCarthy agreed and argued there’s ‘no good reason’ for Joshua not to face Wilder on the ‘Day of Reckoning’ card in Saudi Arabia. 

Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are both in action in Saudi Arabia on December 23, though they will face different opponents on the night

John Fury argued that Joshua should face Wilder before he is ‘worthy’ of facing Tyson Fury

McCarthy said: ‘I think he’s (Fury) got a right to think that Anthony Joshua’s people are delicately match-making and are ticking him over where they are trying to get to a point where the Tyson Fury fight can happen.

‘And that’s by keeping AJ busy and keeping him out of the most dangerous fights until Tyson Fury vs Usyk is settled and then he can step into the ring with Fury for what could be the most lucrative fight in all of boxing, arguably.

‘I think AJ would fight Wilder or Ngannou. I’m never gonna suggest that he is scared of anybody. He relishes the challenge. But I also think Hearn, having seen two back-to-back losses and some uninspired performances is trying to protect his most valuable asset by far for DAZN and Matchroom.

‘So Hearn talks about how ‘we’ve reached out to Ngannou and Wilder’ and it’s not that I don’t believe him. I’m not saying these talks don’t happen but there’s a reason these fights don’t happen. 

‘And you have to look at Matchroom at some point, with the way AJ has been matched since coming back. I thought the Dillian Whyte fight was a great match for him. It could have gone either way but winnable on paper, good name for him and it would have been a great launchpad for him to the next step.

‘But thus far we’ve had Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius. Frankly that’s not good enough when you’re a two-time world champion. OK, great, have a comeback fight, get your feet underneath you, but this one should have been Wilder.

‘There’s no good reason why this shouldn’t have been Wilder. This is not what the fans want to see or that will draw money at this stage. That’s the only way I’m looking at it from.

‘John has a point, he really should have to fight Wilder before he has to fight Fury.’

Mail Sport’s Alex McCarthy has argued that Joshua’s fights since his back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk are ‘not good enough’ and that he should be facing Wilder in Saudi Arabia

Joshua defeated Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius (pictured) and will next face Otto Wallin

McCarthy believes Eddie Hearn, having seen ‘some uninspired performances’ and back-to-back losses to Usyk is trying to ‘protect his most valuable asset’

McCarthy’s co-host on The Hook, Charlotte Daly, agreed but believes that Joshua will fight the American before there is any dream British heavyweight showdown.

She added: ‘When John’s going, ‘that’s never going to happen’ I don’t believe that for a second. It is going to happen because Saudi are putting up the money.

‘That money hadn’t been there before so it wasn’t in his best interest to face someone like Wilder that could have a devastating repercussion if it didn’t go well.’

Explaining why she things the fight isn’t taking place on December 23, she added: ‘I think it’s because of the IBF title and that’s his route to it. But I think also Wilder made a good point that him and AJ is one hell of a spectacle. 

‘December 23rd was supposed to be Fury and Usyk and then it suddenly got changed to this card, the build-up, there wasn’t enough time or so they say, to give the fight the promotion it deserved. 

‘Fans aren’t going to like it and I agree with that as everyone wants to see AJ vs Wilder, but John Fury was wrong to say that it’s never going to happen.’

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