- Fans have been eager for Joshua vs Wilder, but the latter’s defeat has dampened enthusiasm
- AJ’s next fight could be against Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight title
- We now see a new and confident AJ – Listen to De Haak
Eddie Hearn confirmed a deal had been signed between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, but the latter’s loss to Joseph Parker has ‘ruined’ those plans.
Joshua’s showdown with Wilder should be one of the most mouth-watering clashes of his career and a £100million payday, with some reports suggesting it was a two-fight deal.
However, the appetite for a fight between the two was quenched by Wilder’s unanimous decision defeat to Parker, with Hearn calling it the ‘most one-sided heavyweight fight’ ever after the Bronze Bomber lost all 12 rounds.
The Matchroom promoter revealed that AJ’s next fight should be Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF world heavyweight title, following his comfortable fifth-round stoppage of Otto Wallin in Riyadh.
Hearn said: “We had signed the Wilder contract. It was supposed to be announced tonight, but that’s boxing. It’s one we believed we would win and if anyone was going to beat it, I was happy it was Joe.
Eddie Hearn confirmed a contract had been signed to see Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder face each other
However, Wilder’s defeat to Joseph Parker has ‘ruined’ plans for the £100m showdown in 2023
‘He [Wilder] looked terrible. I didn’t really give him a round. Even when the referee read the decision, he raised his hands as if he could get the decision!
“It was a strange performance but we can only take care of what we do and obviously Anthony put in a performance tonight to showcase the heavyweight division.”
In a separate interview he said: ‘Wilder had no idea, no idea. He lost every round. It was the most one-sided heavyweight fight I have ever seen. It ruined our plans.”
Joshua vs Wilder is a fight that boxing fans have been wanting for years, ever since their failed talks for a bout in 2017.
However, Joshua is on a mission to become a three-time world champion, and a fight with Wilder on March 9, as expected, would not serve that ambition.
Wilder has had four fights since 2020 but has lost three, with his victory over Robert Helenius in October 2022 being his only win since 2019.
Two defeats to Tyson Fury in consecutive fights is no shame, but it does mean he is no longer world champion.
Meanwhile, Joshua was back to his best with a mature performance against Wallin. Even Fury couldn’t stop Wallin and had to go the distance when they fought.
Joshua was back to his best as he completely defeated Otto Wallin, stopping him in the fifth round
His one-two combinations were deadly and the Swede struggled to get into the match
Filip Hrgovic could be Joshua’s next opponent in his quest to become a three-time world champion
It took AJ no time to get going and his one-two combos crushed the Swede.
Joshua then celebrated backstage with compatriots Derek Chisora and Tony Bellew, and there was cause for cheering. On the way to 2024, he is experiencing a wave of optimism.
After the fight, Joshua couldn’t escape questions about another highly anticipated fight, this time with Fury.
“I will 100 percent fight Tyson Fury,” he said when asked whether he would rather face the Gypsy King or the Croatian next. “But I’m not avoiding Hrgovic, I’m also going to fight Fury.”
Hrgovic was on the undercard in Saudi Arabia and made short work of his fight with Mark de Mori.
