British-Nigerian boxer, Anthony Joshua has announced his intentions to fight American Deontay Wilder in 2022.
He stated this in an interview with IFL TV when he was asked if he’s willing to take on a challenge with Deontay Wilder if the opportunity emerged.
Joshua and Wilder have never fought before, but shared a history of fighting in the Olympics.
While Wilder picked a bronze for America in the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Joshua won a gold for England in the 2012 Olympics in London.
Expectations were that the two fighters would meet when Wilder was holding the WBC title and Joshua had the triple heavyweight titles of WBA, IBF and WBO.
But the expectations receded when Wilder lost to Tyson Fury in their second fight. Thus Fury became the man to battle Joshua for the unification of the titles.
Even that possibility has been shattered for now.
Joshua suffered a devastating defeat last month in the hands of Oleksandr Usyk. His focus is now on the rematch.
“If the fans can’t see I would take these fights with the fighters like Wilder in a heartbeat,” Joshua told IFL TV.
“And I want people to know that I would fight anyone in their prime or anytime. Give me a mandatory and I will fight anyone, I love the game and will fight anyone.
“I will take on any challenge providing politics aren’t an issue and the finances are there with these guys, people know what I am about.
“I think Wilder fought Fury thinking it was going to be easier than his previous fights and got caught in a trilogy web. But would I fight Wilder, yes I would” he added. – Agency report.
