‘AJ’ had previously named Wilder as a potential opponent for his September return…
It looks ever more likely that former two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will face either Zhilei Zhang or the winner of Daniel Dubois vs Fillip Hrgovic in his homecoming fight at Wembley Stadium in September. The Watford-born fighter had included former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder on a four-man shortlist of potential opponents, but it seems that a clash with ‘The Bronze Bomber’ is off the table for now.
Why Joshua Won’t Fight Wilder in September
Boxing fans have been anticipating the fight for years
Joshua named Wilder, alongside Zhang, Hrgovic and Dubois as the names who were in line to share the ring with him later this year. However, even if Wilder defeats Zhang in their fight on the 1st of June, he won’t be facing the Brit.
Turki Alalshikh – the mastermind behind Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in boxing – is close with Joshua – and has previously told the Londoner that he wants to see him fight the best available opposition for the remaining fights of his career. For as invested as he is in Joshua’s goals, though, Alalshikh has his own ambitions in the sport.
With that in mind, the Saudi chief is hoping Wilder will be able to fight Jared Anderson on his Riyadh Season card on the 3rd of August in Los Angeles, assuming he comes through his bout with Zhang unscathed. Alalshikh wrote on social media:
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That news essentially ends the prospect of a Joshua vs Wilder fight in the near future. The pair had been expected to meet in early 2024, before the American’s shock defeat to Joseph Parker last December derailed those plans.
Joshua’s main ambition remains becoming a three-time world champion and – in an ideal world – he would fight the winner of the Oleksander Usyk vs Tyson Fury unification fight in just under three weeks. Unfortunately for the 34-year-old, the bout has an immediate rematch clause, meaning the winner isn’t likely to be available for a title defence until early 2025.
Unbeaten in his last four fights, Joshua is on a roll under his new trainer Ben Davidson and is looking like the fighter who first rose to stardom in the heavyweight division. His most recent win against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou was destructive and is much more credible than it looks on paper, seeing as the Cameroonian took the ‘Gypsy King’ the full distance and even managed to score a knockdown in their fight.
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It might not be Fury, Usyk or even Wilder, but a win over Dubois or Hrgovic would certainly help Joshua stake his claim for a shot at the unified heavyweight championship. Both are hungry and ambitious fighters in the division and would relish the opportunity to fight ‘AJ’.
If Joshua wins and Wilder can find a way past both Zhang and Anderson, then the long-awaited fight between the duo could finally become a reality. After falling apart so many times over the last six years, though, nothing can be taken for granted when it comes to a Joshua vs Wilder fight.