Anthony Joshua has been told a second loss to Andy Ruiz Jr could open the door for him to emulate Muhammad Ali.
Joshua will head to Saudi Arabia on December 7 looking to avenge his shock June defeat to Ruiz Jr in New York.
The Brit is expected to face another tough test as he looks to recapture his belts with claims his career could be over if he suffers a second straight defeat.
But he has received some reassurance from an unlikely source in the form of heavyweight rival Deontay Wilder .
Wilder insists another defeat would not spell the end of the road for Joshua, instead giving him the chance to emulate the iconic Muhammad Ali, who suffered losses to Joe Frazier and Ken Norton before his lengthy second reign as heavyweight king.
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Wilder told SunSport : "A lot of people say 'If he loses the second time he's done' - no he's not!
"He's not done, that's up to him, how many people have come back and reigned?
“Look at Muhammad Ali, he reigned for longer in his second time as champion than he did the first time, that's how you become a two or three-time champion.
"So it's not over when you lose. You just have to start from the beginning.”
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Action Images via Reuters)Wilder has backed Ruiz Jr to repeat the trick on December 7 and leave Joshua needing to resurrect his career.
Earlier this week, Wilder was asked by reports who he was backing in Saudi Arabia and replied: "Andy Ruiz.
“I liked him in the first fight with Joshua and I like him in the second fight as well.
“In my opinion, it’s an even more bigger fight between the two, you know. Especially how he won the first time."
