Shelly Finkel, manager of Deontay Wilder, has confirmed that he and the rest of Wilder’s team are ready to make a fight with Anthony Joshua.
Speaking to YSM Sports Media, ahead of Wilder’s fight with Robert Helenius, which he went on to win by first-round knockout, Finkel told of his intentions to make the fight with the Brit. Finkel recognised that Tyson Fury is most likely the hottest property in boxing, but believes that a fight between Wilder and ‘AJ’ would be the biggest fight in the sport, after listening to what the fans tell him.
“People say to me, and I only go by what I hear, that the biggest fight of all is Deontay [Wilder] and [Anthony] Joshua, because it has been going for so many years.”
“If Deontay does what he is supposed to do, we are ready. If the, Joshua says he is fighting December 3rd, we would have to wait until that after that fight. If he [Joshua] loses his next fight, he has got problems.”
Of course, Wilder went on to do what he was ‘supposed to do’ beating Helenius with a spine-tingling knockout in the very first round of their fight. Now, as far as Finkel is aware, the ball is in the court of Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn.
Finkel did admit that the fight with Wilder does hinge on Joshua winning his next fight, expected to take place on December 17th, but we are yet to have an official announcement, in regards to whom ‘AJ’s’ opponent might be.
Otto Wallin and his manager appear to be in contact with Joshua’s team and he may well be the frontrunner to take on the Brit at this point in time, as Hearn wishes for a ‘proper’ fight for his heavyweight.