Anthony Joshua’s Deontay Wilder prediction as heavyweight rivals lastly meet
Joshua and Wilder are each set to battle on the finish of the 12 months on one of many greatest nights in boxing’s historical past. The pair are labeled as co-main occasion fights regardless of heavy rumors the duo would come to blows and face one another this 12 months.
Instead, Joshua will tackle Sweden’s Otto Wallin, whereas Wilder will face New Zealand heavyweight Joseph Parker. And with the pair on the stage, Wilder was requested by host Dev Sahni about his ideas on going through Joshua sooner or later.
“It’s good to be in the same room with him, to see him face to face,” Wilder stated. “It’s been a long time coming, and I wish you all the best bro.
“Hopefully quickly we are able to get it on within the ring and provides the folks what they need as soon as and for all, however I want you nothing however one of the best, even when it doesn’t occur. But I imagine it is going to occur, I imagine it should occur it’s about that point. But even when it do not I want you nothing however one of the best.”
Following the interplay, Joshua was then requested his ideas on combating Wilder whereas talking with DAZN. “Yeah I do [see us fighting],” Joshua said. “Good luck to him with what he is doing on December twenty third and I see us combating 100%.”
Wilder and Joshua will head into their fights having received of their earlier appearances within the ring. Joshua has fought on two separate events this 12 months, having fun with wins in opposition to Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius, to take care of his file of 26 skilled fights with 23 knockouts and three defeats.
Wilder’s final battle got here again in Oct. 2022 when he additionally fought Helenius. The Bronze Bomber dramatically knocked out his opponent within the first spherical to make his file boast 43 wins with 42 knockouts, two defeats, and a controversial draw in opposition to Tyson Fury.
Both Wilder and Joshua have been closely linked with a battle again in Oct. which Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn revealed almost got here to fruition.
“All I can tell you is we got an approach from Saudi Arabia and Skill Challenge,” Hearn said via FightHype. “We got an offer from them, we accepted the offer, Wilder accepted the offer, and the contracts never came.
“Now, should I have known that? I’ve done two fights with those guys, they were solid every time they said it’s happening, it happened, so in my mind it was done. But things changed out there and I understand that and respect it, so that’s put a spanner in the works.
“So now we’re looking at it, myself and Shelly [Finkel] continue to talk, but we look at Vegas and we look at some people making offers, some people wasting time against out in the Middle East, but we have to explore those options. So all I can tell you is January is definitely not happening.”