Deontay Wilder’s trainer Malik Scott has expressed their desire to face Anthony Joshua next, claiming a fight between the pair would be the ‘biggest fight in the history of the heavyweight division’.
Wilder announced his return to the blue ribbon division in explosive fashion last October, when he dispatched of Robert Helenius in just one round at the Barclays centre.
That win saw the American ordered to face Ruiz in a final eliminator by the WBC, meaning the winner would be next in line for a shot at Wilder’s old foe Fury.
Scott, who has worked with Wilder since his trilogy bout with Tyson Fury, told IFL TV his preference was for his charge to face ‘AJ’ instead of Andy Ruiz Jr, whom he is mandated to face by the WBC.
“You have Deontay and Andy Ruiz mandated for the WBC, but then you have people raving for Anthony Joshua and Deontay to fight, and that actual fight is bigger than the WBC mandation. We’ll just see.”
“I want Deontay to fight ‘AJ’ – I think that’s the biggest fight in the history of the heavyweight division.”
“I want to see them in the ring with each other, because I don’t believe it will go more than three rounds.”
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has publicly stated his desire to make a cross Atlantic blockbuster between the two punchers, citing the contest as a possibility for the tail end of 2023.
With his new trainer decided upon and an official announcement on a comeback opponent expected in coming days, Joshua’s career looks set to get in motion again after a second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in August.