Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has said that a
potential fight with Deontay Wilder is ‘95 per cent done’ on his side and could
take place in December if the deal goes through.
Talks are ongoing over a proposed ‘tournament’ in Saudi
Arabia which could also involve Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk fight on the same
card.
Joshua claimed his first win in over two years after
defeating Jermaine Franklin in his last fight on April 1, having previously
fallen to two consecutive losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022.
He then announced he would not return to the ring until
December, ruling out a summer showdown with either Fury or Dillian Whyte.
Joshua now looks set to face off against the former WBC
World Champion Wilder at the end of the year in a fight that could have
happened when they were both champions.
“From my experiences with Saudi, if they say they are going
to do something, they are more than likely going to do it. So, that’s one end of
it,” Joshua told Metro.
“And then you let the other guys do what they do. But as the
man behind the scenes, it is important to start getting ready. In terms of it
getting delivered, I honestly believe it is 95 percent there.
“He is good, I respect him, I don’t undermine him. That will
make me raise my game. I respect what he has done and what he has done in this
division. It is hard to become a champion, and he did it, so I have to respect
that,” the British-Nigerian said.
“Deontay has wanted to fight Joshua for a long time and of
course is willing to fight him in Saudi Arabia,” Wilder’s manager Shelly Finkel
told Sky Sports.
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