Anthony Joshua Confident He Has The Tools To Defeat Deontay Wilder
Up next for two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony “AJ” Joshua (25-3, 22 KOs) appears to be a showdown against former WBC champion Deontay “Bomb Squad” Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs) in December of this year. Joshua has started the process of preparing for that contest.
The fight is a change of plans for AJ. After a unanimous decision over Jermaine Franklin on April 1, the 33-year had plans to fight three times this year. But as 3kingsboxing.com previously reported, plans are underway for a four-person heavyweight tournament in Saudi Arabia in December 2023. Part of that tournament would be a clash between Joshua and Wilder.
HAVING NO DOUBTS ABOUT WHO WINS
Joshua said that the fight with Wilder is very close to being finalized, during an interview with the British news outlet Metro UK. When asked about his assessment of Wilder, AJ praised the former WBC champion. But in the end, Joshua is assured that he has what it takes to win.
“He is good, I respect him, I don’t undermine him. That will make me raise my game. I respect what he has done and what he has done in this division. It is hard to become a champion, and he did it, so I have to respect that.
It’s going to be a tough fight, but I am confident in myself. I’m a better, more well-rounded athlete, a better, more well-rounded fighter.”
The two have talked about fighting one another for several years. They tried to make the fight throughout 2018 and into early 2019 when both were undefeated world champions. But the fight fizzled during negotiations as Joshua and Wilder could not agree on who would get the larger share of the purse split. It was a missed opportunity.
Now both men are older, have had their share of setbacks, and are no longer reigning world champions. Joshua has lost twice to reigning unified champion Oleksandr Usyk. Wilder was stopped twice by the current WBC champion, Tyson Fury.
Yet a Joshua matchup against Wilder is still a viable and marketable contest. Many observers consider them among the elite fighters in the division. Even at this stage of their careers, it’s a fight that fans would love to witness.
