For several years, a titanic clash between heavyweight title-holders Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder was one of boxing’s hot topics.
But no-one is calling for that fight anymore since Wilder lost his WBC crown in a seven-round hammering by Tyson Fury in February. A contracted trilogy fight between Wilder and the ‘Gypsy King’ also appears to have fallen by the wayside after Team Fury insisted that their agreement had expired.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ disagrees and has taken his dispute to mediation, but Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn is unsure whether Wilder can reach the heavyweight summit again if a third fight with Fury fails to materialise. Especially with Fury and Joshua set to contest their heavyweight titles in a two-fight series in 2021 and WBO No.1 contender Oleksandr Usyk waiting in the wings.
“If they don’t get the Tyson Fury fight, [Wilder is] going to get the shock of his life when he sees the new proposal, and the new purse proposal to fight these guys, all of which can beat him,” Hearn told Sky Sports.
“Andy Ruiz, Dillian Whyte, Filip Hrgovic, Oleksandr Usyk. They are all capable of beating Deontay Wilder.
“I want to see Deontay Wilder back in the ring, he’s entertaining, he’s great for the division. Great knockout power.
“If he’s missed the opportunity for the [Fury trilogy fight], he’s going to [have] two years of waiting to fight for the world heavyweight title again. He’s got to rebuild. Does he want to rebuild?”