Anthony Joshua Says More Talks With Deontay Wilder Have Taken Place

By James Slater - 01/21/2020 - Comments

We’ve been here before, right?

Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder: the big heavyweight showdown we have wanted to see, and still want to see. Talks to try and get the fight done proved fruitless in the past, with many fans moaning and groaning how, in their opinion, the fight will never happen (enter here your theory on why this one will never come off).

But Joshua, having regained his belts by way of his smart boxing display against Andy Ruiz in their heavily hyped rematch, has told Sky Sports News that fresh talks with Wilder have taken place, with the aim of making the undisputed heavyweight title fight showdown between the two this year:

“We’ve had meetings,” Joshua revealed. “That same meeting with Usyk’s manager, afterwards we had another meeting to potentially put an offer in to solidify [a fight with Wilder] before they have even had their fight (the return with Tyson Fury on Feb. 22), and before I have my next fight. Everyone wants Wilder to win because [a fight with me] is what everyone wants to see. Wilder has a great right hand, I have a great left hand. It is a great boxing match. We had a meeting about that. It has great potential. I heard [Wilder and Fury] have a third fight lined up towards the end of the year but we have to throw a curve-ball in there.”

Don’t expect anything like real progress until the Wilder-Fury return is done; maybe not even then. The fact is, Wilder cannot stand Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn and talks between the two sides have never proven successful. What should make us think, believe, this will change now? This talk of new talks between Joshua and Wilder is just that at the moment: talk. Will it ever get beyond this stage?

As for who Joshua may fight next, it will be either Usyk (WBO mandatory) or Kubrat Pulev (IBF mandatory) and according to a news piece from Dan Rafael, it looks more likely to be the latter. And Bob Arum has been saying for some time how his guy Pulev will flatten Joshua AND retire him from the sport in the process. A second defeat suffered by A.J really would end any hopes of seeing a fight between he and Wilder.