Whichever fight he takes next, rest assured WBC heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder will give us an exciting fight. Wilder was asked at the post-fight presser that followed his thrilling – yet also controversial – drawn battle with Tyson Fury, what he wants next: a return with Fury or a unification fight with Anthony Joshua. Wilder said that he would “love” to go for the other titles, “I’ve always said, one champion, one face, one name,” he said, but Wilder said he also wants that rematch with Fury.
“I’m in a win-win situation,” Wilder said.
It will indeed prove extremely interesting to see what happens next. Shelly Finkel said that in his opinion Joshua “and this other promoter” (Eddie Hearn) will “still be scared” of taking a fight with Wilder, but that he will wait and see if Hearn calls up tomorrow to discuss a Wilder-Joshua fight once again. Either fight would be huge. Wilder and Fury gave us a dramatic fight – and how on earth did Fury get up from THAT knockdown in the 12th and final round? – and fans are already arguing about the split draw. Some say Fury won, others say Wilder won.
Both fighters have refused to scream robbery, but a sequel would of course be most welcome. But so too would a Wilder-Joshua clash. It seems Wilder – who entered the ring with Fury with a rematch clause – has options. But what of Fury, what might he do next? If the return with Wilder doesn’t happen, or if it doesn’t happen next, who might Fury fight in his next bout? Fury is, as he made clear at the post-fight presser, still the lineal heavyweight champion – might Joshua take a fight with Fury next?
This seems very doubtful, but at the same time, with fans demanding that the best fight the best, will AJ be allowed to get away with fighting a Dillian Whyte (in a rematch that doesn’t NEED to happen) or a Jarrell Miller in April? Bottom line, if Wilder and Fury do not face each other next, Joshua must fight one of them. Wilder and Fury have pretty much proven that they will fight anyone, with no ducking and dodging. Can the same be said of Joshua?
Until these three giants settle their differences in the ring we will not know who the best heavyweight on the planet is. Wilder and Fury stepped up and put it all on the line last night, now Joshua needs to prove to his fans that he is willing to do the same. Again, unless Wilder and Fury fight each other next, Joshua has no respectable place to go aside from into a fight with either the WBC champ or the lineal king.