Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder ‘finalize deals to fight separate fights on same night in Saudi Arabia in December’ – with showdown between former world heavyweight champions looking for next year
- Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder were scheduled to fight on the same night next month
- Pair will reportedly fight separate opponents on December 23 in Saudi Arabia
- How do you get the biggest fight for an ailing AJ without major risk? The hook
Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder will both reportedly return to action on December 23 at the same event in Saudi Arabia.
Rumors of a clash between the two former world heavyweight champions have been circulating for some time, with Eddie Hearn claiming in May that the fight would likely take place this year.
However, this is evident from a report by a boxing journalist Then RaphaelAfter funding for the highly anticipated showdown could not be confirmed, the pair will now feature in separate fights on the same night.
Both Wilder and Joshua scored knockout victories against Robert Helenius in their most recent outings.
After back-to-back losses to Tyson Fury, Wilder stopped the Finnish heavyweight in the first round in October last year.
Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder will reportedly return to the same card later this year
The two former heavyweight champions face separate opponents in Saudi Arabia next month
Helenius stepped in as a short-term replacement for Joshua in August, with AJ scoring a seventh-round stoppage after a cautious opening at the O2 Arena.
The event scheduled for December 23 was initially set to feature a clash between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk to determine the division’s first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.
Fury had even gone so far as to claim he would sue the Ukrainian if he tried to postpone the clash, noting that a contract had been signed by both parties for the event to take place on that date.
However, plans had to change after the WBC champion faced former UFC king Francis Ngannou in ten rounds in Riyadh last month.
Ngannou exceeded expectations in the ring and produced a balanced performance becoming just the fourth fighter to score a knockdown over the Gypsy King, defeating Fury with a left hook in the third round.
Despite his valiant efforts, Fury would ultimately emerge victorious via split decision, with statistics later showing that he had outmatched the former MMA fighter over the course of the fight.
Although he left with his undefeated record intact, the magnitude of the fight has caused the uncontested clash to be postponed, with Usyk recently stating that he hopes the fight will take place in February.
The December 23 event was initially expected to feature an uncontested clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk