It’s a little too early to pop the champagne corks, but it seems we are as close as we have ever been to seeing, finally, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder fight each other. As per a report from Mike Coppinger of ESPN.com, the two former heavyweight champions have reached a deal to fight on March 9th, the fight to take place in, yes, you’ve guessed it, Saudi Arabia.
But first both men have to take care of business on the stacked Saudi card that will go down on December 23rd, with Wilder facing Joseph Parker, and Joshua facing Otto Wallin.
Coppinger’s message on X:
“Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder have a deal in place for a March 9 fight in Saudi Arabia, sources tell ESPN. The former heavyweight champions compete in separate bouts Dec. 23 and they must win to keep the bout intact.”
This is of course great news, and if the fight finally happens, this after something like five or six years of waiting, it seems there is no way the Wilder-Joshua fight will either be dull or that it goes the full 12 rounds. No, someone is getting KTFO here! But who? We may have a better idea after watching Wilder get in there with the very motivated Parker. Wilder has been out of action for some 14 months, and we fans wants to see how he looks, we want to know how much “The Bronze Bomber” has left after those three hard fights with Fury, fights two and three in particular.
If Wilder blows Parker away, fans will be pumped up, with many of them no doubt thinking Wilder will then go on to flatten AJ. But if Wilder struggles with Parker…….
As for Joshua, he too is facing a man who genuinley believes he can win in Wallin, and Joshua will be under scrutiny when he fights the tall southpaw. AJ has not been inactive the way Wilder has, to the contrary, this will be the first year in some time in which Joshua has boxed three times. And if AJ blasts Wallin out, the Joshua supporters will be full of confidence that he will then go on to defeat Wilder.
Together, as well as separately, Parker and Wallin will be looking to spoil one huge fight by scoring the upset win on December 23. But if both Joshua and Wilder do come through okay, and there are plenty of people who have no doubt they both will do so, it should be bombs away on March 9. Finally!