Although talks continue for Deontay Wilder to fight Andy Ruiz Jr, the Alabama big man himself reckons he won’t be out again until 2024.
The winner would be the WBC’s number-one ranked contender with a good chance of a Tyson Fury fight sometime down the line.
Talks had seemingly been quite intense, with lots of public back and forth between fighters before it went quiet amidst a purse split dispute.
Despite Ruiz Jr’s confidence, the latest word from Wilder suggests Ruiz Jr might be left out in the cold. In a clip shared by Boxing News, the fearsome puncher was asked when he will next be in the ring.
“Soon. Maybe January, me versus [Anthony] Joshua, it’s going down.”
‘The Bronze Bomber’ has not fought since October 2022 when he flattened Robert Helenius in the opening round. Joshua, on the other hand, has been more active.
He fought Oleksandr Usyk in August 2022 before bouncing back with a points win over Jermaine Franklin this April, and faces Dillian Whyte on August 12.
Should both men indeed step inside the squared circle in early 2024, it would be a tantalising fight and one fans have wanted to see for years.
Eddie Hern has confirmed it will take place in Saudi Arabia, and at one point the rumour was it might be on the same card as a unification between Oleksandr Usyk and Fury.
That now seems unlikely, but should just one of those fights be made it will represent good progress in the often all too stagnant heavyweight division.