Nigerian-born British heavyweight boxer, Anthony Olaseni Oluwafemi Joshua is once again high on the radar of American rival, Deontay Wilder, as ‘The Bronze Bomber’ believes they should both step into the ring early next year for their much-awaited unification bout, megasportsarena.com reports.
Although Joshua has a date to keep with Andy Ruiz Jnr of Mexico, in an attempt to regain his lost troika of belts, while Wilder also has a rematch lined up with Tyson Fury of Britain, the American pugilist believes an arrangement can be reached for the ‘bigger’ bout.
He went on to cast doubt over his rematch with Fury, as he confessed that he wants to become the undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion, which would mean facing the winner of the December 7 fight between Joshua and Ruiz.
However, Wilder, who has also announced his plan for a rematch with Luiz Ortiz later this year before facing off a second time against Fury in February 2020, said the preferred fight for him would be against Joshua, not Ruiz.
While Ruiz and Joshua take part two of their battle for the WBA, IBF and WBO belts to Saudi Arabia on December 7, Wilder is skeptical about Fury, who faces Otto Wallin on September 14, and alleged that ‘The Gypsy King’ is not keen on facing him once again after narrowly avoiding a knockout in their draw last year.
Based on his reckoning of the unfolding scenario in all the contending camps, Wilder is eager to put his WBC belt on the line, as he goes in search of becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the world since another British legend, Lennox Lewis achieved it in 2000.
Wilder told 78SportsTV: “In my opinion, I don’t feel Fury wants to fight me again anyway. If this opportunity comes about, I think Fury will pass up his opportunity.
“He would want me to fight for the unification, and then come back and fight him. He ain’t really no king, he don’t have a title. I revived his career for him, you’re welcome.
“I think he would do that anyway, but I would want him to do it as well, to give a unification. One champion, one face, one name. That has never left my mind.”
