Anthony Joshua and Deontay ‘agree two-fight deal to face each other’, with the heavyweight pair ‘set to sign the contract BEFORE their separate bouts in Saudi Arabia this weekend’

Heavyweight rivals Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder have reportedly agreed to a two-fight deal to face each other.

Joshua and Wilder will be involved in separate fights in Saudi Arabia this weekend, with the Brit taking on Otto Wallin, while the ‘Bronze Bomber’ will take on Joseph Parker.

But they already appear to have one eye on the future and have now agreed to a multi-fight deal, according to boxing correspondent Then Raphael.

It is expected that the former world champions will sign the contract before entering the ring on Saturday evening.

Reports last week claimed that Joshua would fight Wilder on March 9 if they both made it through the fights in Saudi Arabia unscathed.

A fight between Joshua and Wilder (pictured) has been mooted for years, and they could now meet multiple times in 2024

That would give the pair just 11 weeks to prepare to fight each other, a quick turnaround considering Wilder has only fought once in the last two years.

It now seems likely that they will meet again later in 2024.

A confrontation between Joshua and Wilder has been mooted for a number of years. Wilder held the WBC title between 2015 and 2020, and Joshua became a two-time unified champion between 2016 and 2021.

But talks between the fighters’ teams have collapsed several times and they have lost their titles in the meantime, with Wilder losing twice to Tyson Fury and Joshua being defeated by Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022.

There may not be any titles on the line when they finally settle their differences in 2024, but it remains a mega-fight between two of the best heavyweights in the world.

The winner of the two fights would put themselves back in the title picture and be in line to fight either Fury or Usyk, who will meet in an uncontested clash on February 17.