Anthony Joshua can be expected to seek an explosive collision with America’s Deontay Wilder, rather than hold out for a richly-anticipated clash with British rival Tyson Fury, says promoter Frank Warren.
Joshua and Wilder will be co-main events when they box in separate bouts on the same bill in Riyadh this weekend.
Joshua fights Otto Wallin while Wilder meets another former world champion in Joseph Parker. Warren, who represents Fury, is staging Saturday’s event in association with a raft of other promoters.
He believes Joshua and Wilder are on a collision course, if both are victorious in their respective contests at the weekend.
“The joint-main events have a lot of significance as far as boxing’s concerned in as much that Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are involved in quite tasty and tough fights and should they come through then they’re going to be in a position where I believe they’re going to be facing off next year,” Warren said.
“That’s a massive, massive fight. A fight that a lot of people, certainly the fans talk about a lot. But to get there they’ve got to get through next Saturday night in Riyadh.
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Deontay Wilder says talks on a potential bout between him and Anthony Joshua for next year are ‘positive’ as he prepares to take on Joseph Parker next month
“Get it out of the way on Saturday and all will be revealed but there’s a will to make this happen and I’m quite sure everybody’s going to be happy with the outcome provided these guys deliver.
“The most important thing for them, they’ve got to deliver.”
Warren is not surprised that Joshua isn’t waiting to challenge WBC heavyweight champion Fury.
Fury is set to box WBO, WBA and IBF heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in the undisputed championship fight on February 17. A rematch is likely next for Fury and Warren revealed he wouldn’t be able to box Joshua at least until 2025.
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Anthony Joshua seemed to ignite an old feud as he got into a war of words with Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller at the press conference for his fight with Otto Wallin
“He’d have a long wait for Tyson,” Warren said of AJ. “Tyson’s got his fight and his programme’s set out for next year and at this moment in time doesn’t include Joshua.
“Joshua, he had two opportunities to fight him [Fury], one last December and this year,” he continued.
“Those fights didn’t happen for whatever reason and the situation is now that we are in a position where a number of big fights will be announced. It all depends what happens on Saturday.”
Sky customers can purchase Joshua vs Wallin and Wilder vs Parker here