Former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua believes a combat with Deontay Wilder will occur earlier than the 2 huge punchers retire from the game.
When the 2 boxers had been unbeaten world champions, they had been unable to achieve an settlement that happy each side.
Joshua, who held the IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO titles, is seeking to return to the ring in early 2023. The British star is seeking to get well after struggling again to again choice losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
The frontrunner to face Joshua subsequent is home rival Dillian Whyte.
Wilder, a former WBC world champion, returned to the ring in October with a brutal one-punch knockout of Robert Helenius.
In the intervening time Wilder’s return timeline is unknown, however he was just lately ordered to face former unified champion Andy Ruiz in a ultimate WBC eliminator.
As a result of the 2 of them are nonetheless main gamers on the weight, Joshua expects a combat with Wilder to finally happen.
“All this ‘what else is lacking’, let’s look to the long run,” Joshua advised GQ’s official YouTube channel.
“That was the previous, why it didn’t occur. It would undoubtedly occur, I all the time say ‘we’re in the identical division, we’re in the identical period, meaning the combat has to occur’.
“2023 is looming, it’s a giant 12 months for boxing. We’re all on the prime of our division and that combat will certainly occur and produce a number of mild to the heavyweight division.”
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has been in touch with Wilder’s co-manager, Shelly Finkel. The 2 have had constructive interactions concerning the combat.
“Our supply to Deontay Wilder could be ‘right here’s an amount of cash, if we have now to work with cross-networks, we have now no downside taking a look at that’. Anthony Joshua is unique to DAZN, we will take a look at a twin broadcast, we will take a look at simply making you a suggestion and contractually you possibly can simply settle for it, I don’t know,” Hearn advised Battle Hub TV.
“These fighters additionally must look out for themselves and tackle alternatives. If fights can’t be made in a technique, they need to look in one other approach. Contractually typically that’s troublesome but when it’s not troublesome it’s important to take a look at that.”