10 December 2023 , 18:48
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Anthony Joshua will snub a world title fight in order to fight Deontay Wilder.
Joshua's reign as world champion was ended by Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 when he lost his belts to Oleksandr Usyk. The Brit was also beaten in the rematch before going on to halt his slide with victories over Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius this year.
Joshua will face Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia two days before Christmas on the same card as Wilder's fight with Joseph Parker. Assuming Joshua and Wilder win, they are set to meet in the new year in a fight which has been years in the making.
Meanwhile, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will meet for all four belts in February with the winner then being forced to give up at least one title due to a slew of mandatory challengers. Joshua could, therefore, opt to face Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF title - but promoter Eddie Hearn insists his charge wants to face Wilder.
"It’s very likely that after Fury-Usyk, if that happens, the belts will fragment, particularly the IBF," he told Boxing Social. "If that fragments and Joshua beats Wallin on December 23, it would be Hrgovic against Joshua, but by then it’s very likely that Joshua-Wilder could be contracted and probably will be contracted.
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"We won’t be able to U-turn at that point, we’re full steam ahead trying to make the Wilder fight and a WBC final eliminator, if that’s what it’s called, but I’d just call it the biggest fight in boxing. When that fight happens, and the only way that fight happens is if they both win on December 23 on the same card, if they do win on the same card on the same night, that fight is the biggest fight in boxing."
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Joshua, meanwhile, sees his fight with Wallin as a stepping stone back to the top. “I’m looking forward to delivering my message to Otto Wallin on December 23," he said. “I can’t predict the future but I know what I want to do. I believe I’m going to be three-time heavyweight champion and the first step is to put a demolition job on Otto Wallin.
“It’s going to be a really good time to go to Saudi. It’s going to be big, we haven’t seen a card like this before. This is not a one-stop shop. This is a vision, this is my first stop and I will deliver the message. I’m determined to win and get back to my peak.”