By Edward Chaykovsky
WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (35-0, 34KOs) sent a warning to the new kid on the block in the UK, Anthony Joshua (14-0, 14KOs).
Joshua is ring fast and already has a #2 ranking under the WBC. He could very well become the mandatory challenger within a year's time. He comes back to the ring on December 12th against unbeaten amateur rival Dillian Whyte.
Wilder fought three times in 2015 and is looking for a quick return in January against a top contender. His mandatory challenger is Alexander Povetkin who returns on November 4th against Mariusz Wach.
Wilder-Povetkin is likely to take place in the first half of 2016. Povetkin, like Joshua, is an Olympic gold medal winner. Wilder was the last American male boxer to win a medal in the games, taking home the Olympic bronze in 2008.
"Most definitely [I would want to fight Joshua]. Any fighter who has some excitement behind them, that the fans love, I definitely want them. That's what keeps the heavyweight division alive and gives the fans what they want to see," Wilder told BBC Sport.
"He's moving up in ranking. They have their plans for him. I'm the champion now and we have our plans so - anyone climbing up that ladder, or becoming a top ten or a mandatory - they are going to have to go through me because I'm going to be around for a long time."
"And that's a promise and every time I've made a promise - I've kept it. That's a fight that I'll look forward to when the time comes. And the fans will look forward to it as well. All comers, everyone will have to go through Deontay Wilder."