A battle between former heavyweight world champions is on the cards for later this year with news that Anthony Joshua 25-3 (22) and Deontay Wilder 43-2-1 (42) are in talks for a December clash.
Speaking to a crowd at the Under Armour store inside the Battersea Power Station, Joshua said: “In December potentially there is a big fight that should be cracking with me and Wilder.
“It has been a long time coming. There are a lot of moving shapes at the minute, there is a lot of things happening and moving shapes so one step at a time.
“But it has been a long time coming, for sure.”
The talk has been that former WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight champion Joshua and former WBC heavyweight champion Wilder is reportedly being discussed for Saudi Arabia in a double-header that would also see current WBC boss Tyson Fury 33-0-1 (24) square off with unified champ Oleksandr Usyk 20-0 (13).
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has been spruiking the idea publicly.
“From out side Anthony Joshua is ready to sign to fight Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury, subject to contract, which has never been a problem for us in Saudi because we’ve always found a deal,” the Matchroom Boxing boss said this week.
“It looks like – and I can’t tell you until I go – they want to do this huge night of Usyk against Fury and Joshua against Wilder.
“It sounds bizarre, it sounds mad, but it’s the kind of place where that could happen. We’re all in and we’ll go next week, look them in the eye and we’ll see where we get to.
“We’re up for it. I’m going out to Saudi next week to have those conversations, to start the process to see if it’s real or not. I know it’s real because I’ve dealt with those guys before.
“There’s four fighters they are going to have to sign, but we’re happy to fight Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia in December.”
Joshua is coming off a 12-round points decision over Jermaine Franklin earlier this month in what was his first bout under new trainer Derrick James. Discussions are still ongoing as to whether he fights again in July to help him gel with his new coach ahead of the proposed Wilder bout.
“I am happy to fight in July, no problem,” Joshua said. “There is an element of where it is, ‘work with your coach a bit longer’, because I have c hanged coaches but I am down to fight. That’s what I do.
“If it was up to me, I am pushing for it and I am training to showcase I am ready.
“I am listening to the coaches and doing what they want me to do. It is that confidence in that we don’t need to wait and continue to train, but being off until December does not mean it is back to Dubai.
“It is definitely not off to Dubai, it would just be more time to train but July, June, let’s get cracking as well.”
