Tony Bellew has weighed in on the debate surrounding Anthony Joshua’s potential contest with Deontay Wilder, and whether or not the Brit needs a warm-up fight beforehand.
Following two straight losses to Oleksandr Usyk, ‘AJ’ switched to Texan trainer, Derrick James, and got a unanimous decision win over the durable Jermaine Franklin under his belt.
Whilst the W is a confidence booster, many felt Joshua looked tentative, and chalked that up to the still-fresh coaching partnership.
With that in mind, fans would like to see him out again this summer if the talks of a fight with American knockout artist, Wilder, in December are to come to fruition.
Bellew told Boxing Social that he would like that idea for his countryman, but believes it won’t change the outcome of stepping in with Wilder.
“I’d like him to, but money talks. If the reward is big enough, then why not?”
“Listen, if he has one more or ten more, it still comes down to the same thing – whoever believes in themselves the most, and whoever lands first. Simple as that.”
The former cruiserweight world champion’s theory is backed up by the numbers.
With 74 fights between them, only seven have seen the final bell. In fact, Wilder has dined out on the power of his right hand since his pro debut back in 2008.
The fact that it almost certainly ends in a knockout adds to the intrigue, and provides reasoning behind why boxing bosses in Saudi Arabia are so keen to stage it.
Mega money from the Middle East looks set to break through any previous barriers in the negotiations, and those on the inside say the wintertime fight could be signed as early as next week.