Deontay Wilder is engaged on a deal that may see the American face Anthony Joshua in each Saudi Arabia and Africa. A head-to-head between the previous heavyweight champions has lengthy been anticipated however it could now seem {that a} blockbuster double deal is about to be agreed.

It had been hoped that the pair would kind a part of a sensational double headline invoice with Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk in Saudia Arabia this December however with the latter two unable to agree on a bundle that plan has now been pushed again into the brand new 12 months.

Middle East negotiators nonetheless need Wilder and Joshua to look on the identical invoice, however even when that ambition is just not realised, the previous has made clear his intentions to face the 33-year-old Brit.

Speaking to ES News, Wilder stated: “Everybody is aware of in regards to the Joshua state of affairs. That is critical. That’s actual. That is one which’s up subsequent. We’re trying ahead to that, I’ll be getting in camp actual quickly. I’ll be selling it throughout the subsequent few months or so. Finally get that showdown on.

"I think it’s gonna be a great, great fight between me and him. I’m actually working on a two-fight deal with me and Joshua, one up in Saudi Arabia and the other one up in the Motherland, Africa.”

Joshua, who beat Robert Helenius with a seventh-round knockout on August 13, has not confirmed that he is planning to face Wilder twice but acknowledged that negotiations were well on course for the Saudi Arabia leg.

Joshua told Sky Sports News: "Things are optimistic. In actuality, we're making an attempt to schedule a battle for December. That's the time scale we're trying ahead to essentially. In actuality, I'm going to give attention to the Wilder battle for now."

But when it was put to him that he may fit another fight in before eventually facing Wilder, Joshua dismissed the suggestion, adding: "The timeframe does not actually give a chance for that."

Joshua's victory against Helenius was his first knockout win in over two years. But Wilder represents a completely different proposition and he accepted that he will have to be at his best and work his hardest to beat the American.

Joshua said: "Whoever's adequate to carry that facet out of me and take me to the trenches, let's go. That's what I'm on the lookout for. I'm on the lookout for an opponent that is adequate to take me to the trenches.

"At the end of the day, it's a fight and if it goes down that route, if someone's good enough to bring that out of you, you've got to know that you're man enough to stand up and fight for your territory."