JOHNNY NELSON launched a scathing assessment of Anthony Joshua and predicted Deontay Wilder will "render him UNCONSCIOUS."
AJ returned to winning ways in April with a comfortable decision over Jermaine Franklin, following consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
But the performance left ex-cruiserweight champion-turned pundit Nelson far from convinced.
And he fears for Joshua heading into a proposed blockbuster with Wilder, eyed for December in Saudi Arabia.
Nelson told Pro Boxing Fans: “I think he’s lost confidence.
"I don’t think he believes in himself. I hope AJ manages to come back and starts to believe in himself.
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“I just think Deontay Wilder at some stage will catch Anthony Joshua on the chin and render him unconscious.”
Former super-middleweight champ Carl Froch had exactly the same prediction, leaving Nelson in agreement.
He said: “If the AJ that boxes Franklin gets in there, then yes I do agree [with Froch] if that AJ gets in the ring.
"AJ needs time off to decide who he is, where he is, why he’s doing it – he’s got a new trainer to do new things.
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"He’s a former two-time world champion so he’s not got the luxury of saying ‘I just want a bit of a gimmie here’.
"He’s been at the top, so to come back down and make these mistakes, to be respected at the top again is going to be hard for him.”
Joshua, 33, beat Franklin, 29, under the guidance of new trainer Derrick James, his third coach in as many fights.
And Nelson advised the pair to give themselves more time to gel.
He said: “Have a year out, set yourself in with a trainer, immerse yourself in with what he’s teaching you, so when you come out you are that fresh fighting machine who understands what he’s doing.”
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