Deontay Wilder has said he would still like to face Anthony Joshua.
There was a spell when the fight seemed close when both were unbeaten heavyweight titlists. However, the mouthwatering showdown between the Englishman and the outspoken puncher from Alabama never happened.
Now, Wilder, 44-4-1 (43 KOs), is 40 and Joshua, 29-4 (26 KOs) are potentially lined up for a 2026 showdown. Joshua last night knocked out Jake Paul in six rounds and then called out Tyson Fury in the aftermath. Victory for Joshua there and Wilder could conceivably follow.
Another tune-up for Joshua was planned for February; followed by another long-awaited bout, Tyson Fury, which - like the one with Wilder - is well past the best possible date.
“Almost definitely. Hands down. I’m a fighter,” Wilder told BoxingScene, asked whether he’d entertain a fight with the 35-year-old Joshua. “He’s a fighter. I’m still active. He’s still active. And that’s one of the biggest fights people still want to see. You know what I mean?
“That’s a big fight people still want to see. And like I said, we both are still in this business. And so as long as we’re still in this business, we must meet.”
Wilder turned pro after capturing a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Joshua turned over after capturing gold four years later in London.
It seemed like they might fight heading into Joshua’s bout with Andy Ruiz in 2019, but Ruiz sprung an upset. Joshua took the rematch, two months before Wilder fell to Fury in their February 2020 rematch to end his WBC title reign.
Thus, the paths of Joshua and Wilder failed to cross.
Tris Dixon covered his first amateur boxing fight in 1996. The former editor of Boxing News, he has written for a number of international publications and newspapers, including GQ and Men’s Health, and is a board member for the Ringside Charitable Trust and the Ring of Brotherhood. He has been a broadcaster for TNT Sports and hosts the popular “Boxing Life Stories” podcast. Dixon is a British Boxing Hall of Famer, an International Boxing Hall of Fame elector, a BWAA award winner, and is the author of five boxing books, including “Damage: The Untold Story of Brain Trauma in Boxing” (shortlisted for the William Hill Sportsbook of the Year), “Warrior: A Champion’s Search for His Identity” (shortlisted for the Sunday Times International Sportsbook of the Year) and “The Road to Nowhere: A Journey Through Boxing’s Wastelands.” You can reach him @trisdixon on X and Instagram.
