Joshua, Wilder in talks for a two-fight deal

Deontay Wilder (left) and Anthony Joshua

Representatives of Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are in talks over a two-fight deal next year. Joshua and Wilder are both fighting in separate bouts on the same bill this weekend, reports skysports.com.

While the heavyweights will have to concentrate on tomorrow’s contests, Joshua against Otto Wallin and Wilder against Joseph Parker, their teams will continue discussions about two prospective bouts for 2024, with the first potentially taking place in March.

Shelly Finkel, Wilder’s manager, confirmed to Sky Sports that a deal is not yet done. “Things can move very quickly,” Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports. “To lock in a fighters’ plans for 10 to 12 months is a really good position for him, especially if it comes with the lucrativeness of a Wilder fight in the Middle East. So, two fights are definitely being discussed.

“March is probably the time we can strike for that mega-fight obviously for the financial rewards that you’d look for for a fight with that kind of risk and danger.”
“I think there’s a lot of things that need to happen. Of course, they both need to win. They both need to come out unscathed really. If there are any niggles or any injuries or any cuts, it’s very difficult to go back into a March fight.
“It’s going to be a very quick turnaround if we were to go on that date but of course if AJ doesn’t win, if Wilder doesn’t win, it’s all irrelevant anyway.”

Joshua will have other options. Beating Wallin would put him in line to challenge for the IBF heavyweight title, which is likely to become vacant after Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk box in February.

Fury and Usyk are expected to have a rematch later in 2024 too and so the winner of their fight would not be