He has since signed to fight Ngannou on March 8, following the ex-UFC heavyweight king’s stunning performance against Tyson Fury in October.
However, former cruiserweight world champion Nelson is worried that defeat could ruin Joshua’s legacy by leading fans to only remember him for the upset loss.
Nelson sparked debate with his original comments on the matter, but clarified his point on White and Jordan on Thursday as he explained: “Let me just get it right – I said it’s if Joshua loses to Ngannou in his second professional fight.
“Joshua, former two-time heavyweight world champion, [despite] everything he’s done the public are gonna be left with that loss to a guy in his second professional fight, forgetting all he’s achieved.
“If I was Eddie Hearn, if I was Joshua’s promoter, I wouldn’t have taken the fight because the risk/reward doesn’t weigh up.
“If you lose to him, where are you gonna go from there?
“What’s it gonna do to AJ’s head, thinking, ‘I just lost to this guy, what’s going on here?’