‘He would get flattened’ – Boxing legend says Anthony Joshua would have stood no chance with heavyweights of the 90s

CARL FROCH believes Anthony Joshua "would get flattened" by the heavyweights of the 90s.

The boxing legend has given a damning assessment of the former world champion.

Joshua moved to 26-3 by beating Robert Helenius via seventh round knockout last Saturday.

His victory, the first by KO in three years, has set up a super-fight against Deontay Wilder, which is being eyed for January in Saudi Arabia.

Although Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn believes he can "comfortably" outbox the American, Froch is less convinced by AJ's abilities in the ring.

He told : "When you see how ‘AJ’ lost to Andy Ruiz and then the back to back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, I just think the way in which he lost those fights, would you put him in there with an Evander Holyfield? Or Mike Tyson or Lennox Lewis?

"I feel like the workrate and the ability to take punches was better back then. I don’t think that AJ belongs in that era of the 80s or 90s.

"I don’t think you would be able to say that he belongs in that era, based on the losses. He’d be in there and letting shots go, but he’d be getting flattened."

Joshua's win over Helenius came after the Finn had taken the bout on short notice.

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Original opponent Dillian Whyte was ruled out after failing a drugs test less than two weeks before the fight.

Despite Froch's comments, Wilder is open to facing Joshua according to his coach Malik Scott.

The former WBC heavyweight champion has also fought Helenius, knocking him out in the first round last October.

Joshua is confident ahead of the potential match-up, though, and has even broken down how he will beat Wilder.