Deontay Wilder admitted Tuesday that it hasn’t exactly been easy to put the thought of finally fighting Anthony Joshua out of his mind.

The former WBC heavyweight champion has tried his best to fully focus on facing another former champ Saturday night. Opposing Joseph Parker definitely doesn’t amount to a tune-up fight for the inactive, 38-year-old Wilder, yet he is well aware that virtually everyone paying attention to the “Day Of Reckoning” pay-per-view show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is looking forward to Joshua-Wilder taking place early in 2024, reportedly March 9 in Riyadh.

If Wilder wins against Parker, England’s Joshua also must defeat Swedish southpaw Otto Wallin in the 12-round main event Saturday night to keep their long-discussed showdown intact.

Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs) talked about how hard it has been to avoid thinking about facing Joshua during his “grand arrival” Tuesday in Riyadh.

“To be honest, it’s I wouldn’t say easy,” Wilder told the broadcast team of Darren Barker, Andy Clarke and Dev Sahni. “You know, if I could put it, if I could demonstrate the level of it, I would say it’s been in the middle. It’s been really in the middle because I have Joseph Parker in the front of me. You know, I never look past a fighter, but I do window shop. I do look through the glass window a little bit. But it’s really been a medium type of environment or level for me because, you know, we’re here for Joseph Parker, but everybody want AJ. You know, that’s been the biggest fight in the world. And it still is. It’s been a moment when it’s been hot and cold, hot and cold and hot and cold and hot and cold.

“And every time the talks is talked about, the level just goes up. … What I found about the talks about me and him is that no matter when it’s talks, it get cold, but then when it get back up, everybody gets excited, no matter what. It’s like we haven’t lost anybody that’s not interested in it, you know, at all. You know, sometimes things can linger on too long, but nobody finds interest in it no more. They’re like, ‘Oh, whether it happens or not, we don’t care.’ But when it’s talks about me and AJ, the excitement automatically just come outta people. And I’m looking forward to it if it happens. But at this moment in time, my whole mentality, my whole mindset mentally, physically, emotionally, I’m set on Joseph Parker. I’m definitely not looking past him at all.”

New Zealand’s Parker (33-3, 23 KOs) has won three fights in a row since England’s Joe Joyce (15-2, 14 KOs) knocked him out in the 11th round of their September 2022 bout at AO Arena in Manchester, England.

Unlike Alabama’s Wilder, the more reserved Joshua has been reluctant to talk about them fighting next. The former IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO champion is a lesser favorite versus Wallin, more than 3-1 according to DraftKings sportsbook, than Wilder is against Parker (6-1).

The eight-bout pay-per-view show headlined by Joshua (26-3, 23 KOs) and Wallin (26-1, 14 KOs, 1 NC) will begin at 4 p.m. GMT in the United Kingdom (£19.99) and 11 a.m. ET in the United States ($39.99).

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.