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Wilder Says No Contact Over Joshua Fight: “It Never Existed”

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Anthony Joshua

Deontay Wilder will not lament missing out on a potential bout with Anthony Joshua once again.

America’s Wilder, the former WBC world heavyweight champion, had been floated as a possible opponent for AJ this summer by Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn.

Hearn, head of Matchroom Boxing, suggested they would consider Joshua boxing Wilder before fighting Tyson Fury later on in 2026.

Joshua will box next in July, but that will come against unheralded Albanian Kristian Prenga in Riyadh rather than Wilder.

Shelly Finkel, the American’s manager, is adamant that Wilder has not been frustrated by missing out on fighting Joshua this summer.Deontay Wilder

“Eddie never reached out to us and Joshua obviously had no intention of fighting Deontay Wilder.

Joshua and Wilder have been close to reaching an agreement in the past.

Back in 2019, when their bout would have been for the undisputed heavyweight world champion, it seemed briefly inevitable, only for Joshua to lose to Andy Ruiz, a defeat which AJ would go on to avenge.

More recently they boxed on the same bill when Joshua took out Otto Wallin in 2023. Only on that occasion Wilder slipped up and unexpectedly lost to Joseph Parker.

Wilder boxed in the UK earlier this month when he defeated Derek Chisora and will look for further opportunities.

The American has also been linked to a potential fight with unified heavyweight champion Oleksander Usyk.

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BOXING

Deontay Wilder’s Team React to Anthony Joshua Snubbing Mega-Fight

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Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua’s two-fight 2026 deal has been announced, with Deontay Wilder once again not part of the Briton’s plans, despite a resurgence.

Wilder’s team have now reacted to the news that Joshua will instead face Kristian Prenga before a fight with Tyson Fury at the end of the year.

‘AJ’ was called out by Fury following the latter’s triumph over Arslanbek Makhmudov two weeks ago, but he refused to publicly agree to the long-awaited showdown without a warm-up fight or fully negotiated deal.

Since then, another of Joshua’s long-term rivals, Wilder, has been linked as a possible summer opponent, in order to prepare him for a clash with ‘The Gypsy King’. However, on Monday, it was instead confirmed that the two-time world champion will face lesser-known Albanian, Prenga, in a lower risk return.Deontay Wilder

In an interview with Sky Sports Boxing, Shelly Finkel, who manages ‘The Bronze Bomber’ revealed that he is neither disappointed or surprised by Joshua’s opponent, simply summing up the situation as the ‘same old story’.

Whilst Hearn may not have made an approach for a fight with Wilder, he is targeting a scrap against the former WBC heavyweight world champion for one of his other heavyweight contenders – Jarrell Miller.

As for Joshua, he will take on Prenga on Saturday, July 25, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, looking to tee up one of the biggest fights in British boxing history.

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BOXING

“He Gets Knocked Out!” — Dillian Whyte Makes Bold Call on Deontay Wilder vs Anthony Joshua

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Anthony Joshua

Dillian Whyte believes a battle between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder – two monstrous punchers – would end in emphatic fashion.

The pair were first in negotiations for an undisputed clash in 2018, back when Joshua had unified the division with a unanimous points victory over Joseph Parker.

‘AJ’ was just two fights removed from his compelling battle with Wladimir Klitschko, which saw him claim the IBF and WBA world titles after engineering an 11th-round finish.

Wilder, meanwhile, had just secured a career-best victory over Luis Ortiz, who gave a titanic effort but ultimately found himself on the receiving end of a 10th-round stoppage.

But then, after talks for the Joshua fight collapsed, the American entered his first encounter with Tyson Fury, retaining his WBC world title following a controversial draw.

Joshua, on the other hand, was relieved of his belts in 2019, when Andy Ruiz Jr scored a monumental upset by dethroning the champion with a sixth-round finish.

This seemed to put the nail in the coffin of a potential clash with Wilder, who would later suffer a punishing seventh-round stoppage defeat to Fury in 2020.

There were, however, multiple attempts to revisit their matchup down the line, with the pair still refusing to rule out a possible encounter.

In terms of who would win, though, former world title challenger Whyte has suggested one potential outcome to iFL TV.

Whyte defeated Joshua as an amateur, but later suffered a seventh-round stoppage defeat to the Olympic gold medallist in 2015.

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BOXING

“He’s Run for Years!” – Deontay Wilder Called Out Over Avoided Showdown

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Deontay Wilder

Deontay Wilder has been accused of “running” from a former world title challenger, who hopes their heavyweight encounter can finally come to fruition.

The 40-year-old returned to action earlier this month, edging a split decision against fellow veteran Derek Chisora after flooring his man on two occasions.

It was a scrappy affair for the most part, yet Wilder left many believing that he is capable of securing at least one more notable victory, before finally sailing into the sunset.

In fairness, it was a vastly improved performance to what he produced against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, who outpointed and stopped him in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

In that same breath, though, it must be said that the former world champion is a far cry from the man who twice dropped Tyson Fury in 2021, before ultimately suffering an 11th-round stoppage defeat.

Another fighter who many consider to be nearing the end, meanwhile, is Dillian Whyte, who has not fought since his first-round stoppage defeat to Moses Itauma in August.

For a brief time, the Londoner was regarded as a genuine world-level contender, but now appears to be sitting on the brink of retirement.

Before finally calling it quits, though, the 38-year-old has told Impact Boxing that he is more than willing to hang around for a potential dustup with Wilder.

Whyte challenged for the WBC heavyweight title against Fury in 2022, but came up short as he suffered a sixth-round stoppage loss.

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BOXING

No Deal: Anthony Joshua Rejects July Showdown with Deontay Wilder

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Deontay Wilder & Anthony Joshua

English boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has clarified that Deontay Wilder is no longer in contention to face Anthony Joshua anytime soon, despite recent speculation linking the two heavyweights.

Joshua has been offered a return to the ring in July as part of a proposed two-fight deal tied to Riyadh Season, with a blockbuster showdown against Tyson Fury targeted for November. However, Hearn revealed that Wilder is not part of the current plan.

Wilder had emerged as a potential opponent after calling out Joshua following his victory over Derek Chisora, raising hopes of a long-anticipated clash between the former world champions. But those expectations now appear to have been shelved.

According to Hearn, key stakeholders behind the proposed deal are unwilling to risk the much-anticipated Joshua-Fury bout by matching Joshua against a dangerous opponent like Wilder beforehand.

“The deal that we have been offered to fight in July and then fight Tyson Fury in November is not with Deontay Wilder in mind,” Hearn told talkSPORT.

“The powers that be don’t really want us to be in that type of fight.”

Hearn explained that the offer—put forward by Turki Alalshikh in collaboration with Ring Magazine and Riyadh Season—is structured to lead Joshua directly into a high-stakes clash with Fury.

“This is an offer that has been made… and that looks like the routeAnthony Joshua that we will take,” he said.

While reiterating that Joshua has no issue facing Wilder, Hearn suggested the American is unlikely to feature under the terms of the current agreement.

“We have no problem fighting Wilder, but I don’t think it will be Wilder under the basis of this deal.”

Joshua, who has been out of action since his knockout win in December, is expected to take a lower-risk interim bout in July as preparations intensify for a potential career-defining encounter with Fury later this year.

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BOXING

Deontay Wilder Fires Warning Shot, Says Tyson Fury Hasn’t Been the Same Since Their Fights

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Tyson fury

Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury’s all-time great trilogy took something from the British fighter, according to the American puncher’s former coach, Malik Scott, who talked to Action Network about his former pupil’s rivalry, and his return to the ring on Saturday, April 4 at the 02 Arena in London atop Misfits Pro card on DAZN.

Wilder and Fury fought thrice from 2018 to 2021, sharing a disputed split draw in Los Angeles, before Fury took control with wins in the sequel and trilogy bout, and edging him 5-3 in combined knockdowns across the fights, too.

Since the last of their fights, Wilder is 2 (2 KOs) against 2 defeats (1 KO). Fury, meanwhile, is 3-2 (2 KOs). Neither has really bounced back with aplomb.

For Scott, the Fury from the Wilder saga was the not the same Tyson as the one who stepped through the ropes ahead of, and during, his two losses to Oleksandr Usyk.

“The power actually feels scary, and it’s a serious thing,” said Scott. “Tyson Fury felt it the worst because he had to deal with it with 10-ounce gloves on, being hit by Wilder, getting knocked down, getting up with his equilibrium disturbed, and continuing to fight, and then getting knocked down again. And that happened to him, not in just one fight, but in two fights, repeatedly got knocked down by Wilder. And that’s not even counting the punches that landed that he didn’t go down from.Tyson Fury

“So he’s just not the same man, but I knew he wasn’t the same man when he gave Usyk two good fights. I knew he wasn’t the same man when he stopped Dillian Whyte.”

Wilder returns this weekend for his fight against Chisora riding the momentum of a win, having finished Tyrrell Anthony Herndon in the seventh round. Scott predicts another victory in England.

He continued: “If Deontay, who’s the hardest puncher in the history of the sport in my opinion, cracked Derek coming in, Derek goes to sleep.

“If Derek can stay in Deontay’s chest and attempt to drown him and take him into deep waters and drown him, if Deontay doesn’t knock him out, then it could be a long night for Deontay,” said Scott.

“I think Deontay Wilder wins by knockout early.”

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