I hurt Deontay Wilder and was KO’d by Anthony Joshua – I could see AJ knocking out Tyson Fury

HEAVYWEIGHT Eric Molina is in the unique position of having fought both Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder.

Molina in 2015 challenged Wilder for the WBC world title and even had the American hurt with a left hook.

But the Bronze Bomber caught up with the challenger and knocked him out in round nine.

A year later, he faced Joshua for the IBF belt in Manchester but was stopped in just three rounds.

And Molina predicted AJ's ferocious combination-punching could be a key to victory over his great rival Tyson Fury.

He told iFL TV in 2021: “I can see Anthony Joshua knocking out Tyson Fury. I can see that happening.

"If you look at Tyson Fury, he does some things similar to me defensively against Wilder, which was to stay away from one or two big shots.

“I’ve always had my strength of when I sparred big punchers, I’ve always said bring me the bigger punchers because I could see one, two, or three shots. I could get a read.

"Wilder gives you a big read like [winding up his shots]. He’s coming hard, but he’s giving me all that.

"So by the time I see that, I’m moving. I’m not just going to stand there. The ones that stand there [covering up] against Wilder, you’re going to get hurt.

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"I already knew that I wasn’t just going to pick my gloves up to take a shot like that. The same way Fury does not do that.

"What Joshua does, he doesn’t give you that boom. He’s very fluid with his punches. He comes with three, four, five, maybe even a six."

Molina, 41, last fought in March in a seventh-round defeat to Canadian Simon Kean, 34.

Joshua, 34, and Wilder, 38, meanwhile return on the same card in Saudi Arabia but in separate bouts.

AJ faces Otto Wallin, 32, while Wilder returns against Joseph Parker, 31, as a blockbuster in 2024 awaits the pair should they win.