Former WBC heavyweight chaWilder fired up for potential Joshua clashmpion Deontay Wilder is sure that a fight with Anthony Joshua will happen in the future despite recent setbacks, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The American heavyweight faces Zhilei Zhang June 1, six months on from his shock defeat to Joseph Parker. The loss to Parker in December derailed a planned fight against Joshua, but Wilder says the long-awaited bout can still happen.
“People are always going to want to see that fight no matter what,” Wilder told BBC Sport.
“I put it in the high 90s (percentage chance of happening).”
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Wilder’s trainer Malik Scott has backed his fighter to reassert himself among the likes of Fury, Usyk and Joshua, but insists he must stop Zhang in style if he is to have any chance.
“It’s really do or die now, he has to get this done and in his position he can’t get it done just any way, he has to get it done in a violent manner,” Scott told Sky Sports.
Joshua and Wilder both fought on the same night last December, with a view to meeting in April 2024, but the British-Nigerian was forced to face former UFC champion Francis Ngannou instead, after Wilder’s defeat.
Wilder says the loss was in part down to his 14 months of inactivity leading up to the Parker fight, but said a big win will resurrect interest in the contest.
“I always said it before, it’ll be a shame if we never fought,” Wilder said of Joshua.
“It only takes that one fight, that one night. June 1st is going to be that night, that one fight. Deontay Wilder knocks (Zhang’s) head off and the world goes crazy. And there we go again, Wilder versus Joshua. They want it (again).”
