BOXING

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

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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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