Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder had been planning to step into the ring together since 2017. Since then, they have been diligently trying to negotiate a fight agreement and only managed to do so in March of this year.

However, before this, Wilder was defeated by Joseph Parker, and instead of facing him, AJ fought Francis Ngannou. It’s worth recalling that the Briton secured a stunning victory with a devastating knockout.

Meanwhile, the American is set to return to the ring in a bout against Chilean Zhang on June 1st in Riyadh as part of the Queensberry-Matchroom 5 on 5 tournament. The main event of this tournament will be the clash between Filip Hrgovic and Daniel Dubois.

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Joshua himself has stated that Turki Al al-Sheikh, the man responsible for organizing boxing matches in Saudi Arabia, wants him to face the winner of this fight at Wembley on September 20th or 21st.

When asked if he’s ready to fight Joshua during an interview with Sportsbook Review, Wilder responded:

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Recall that earlier, Deontay Wilder was the WBC heavyweight world champion, defeating Canadian Bermane Stiverne in 2015. Five years later, the championship belt was taken from him by the current champion Tyson Fury, who will be fighting for the title of undisputed champion against Alexander Usyk in just a week.

Deontay Wilder’s long-time trainer Malik Scott claims the ‘Bronze Bomber’ would agree to fight Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium in London.

The former heavyweight world champion hasn’t fought since his shock defeat to Joseph Parker back in December and is desperate to get back in the win column in his upcoming fight with Zhilei Zhang on the 1st of June.

A one-of-a-kind event was announced Monday as a squad of fighters representing Queensberry Promotions take on boxers from Matchroom in a unique five vs. five event to take place on the 1st of June in Saudi Arabia.

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In one of the more intriguing plot twists, Wilder— a long-time rival of Eddie Hearn’s prized fighter Joshua — will represent Hearn’s Matchroom.

Another defeat could spell the end of Wilder’s glittering career. However, a huge win in Saudi Arabia could put his name back into the world title mix.

A showdown with the winner of Tyson Fury’s undisputed showdown with Usyk is on the American’s radar, and he believes he would have an easier night against the Ukrainian. That said, Wilder is also eyeing up a showdown with ‘AJ,’ and his trainer believes he’d be willing to fight the Brit in England.

Both Wilder and Joshua have been tipped to fight each other for a while, but the American claimed Joshua turned down a lucrative offer to do battle.

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Speaking about a potential clash between Wilder and Joshua in the UK, Scott told Casino Online In: “If Joshua’s free, that’s a bigger name than Jared Anderson. Deontay for the right price and the right legacy would fly to Wembley to fight AJ faster than Superman changes clothes.

‘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.