It took several years to get one Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder fight, but now we are about to get TWO.
The pair came close to meeting for the undisputed heavyweight title back in 2018, when AJ was IBF, WBA and WBO king and Wilder held the hallowed WBC belt. But they never could get a deal across the line. Now though, things are different.
DAZN: Sign up now to watch Joshua AND Wilder!
A little over a week ago it was revealed that the pair will finally lock horns in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia on March 9, with one major condition. Both must avoid defeat in their bouts on that enormous ‘Day of Reckoning’ card in Riyadh on Saturday night.
Joshua (26-3) will meet dangerous Swede Otto Wallin (26-1), while Wilder (43-2-1) goes in against former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker (33-3). AJ and Wilder will both start favourite for their bouts, but neither is a foregone conclusion.
Joshua vs Wilder latest
Now we have even more reason to hope they do come through unscathed, thanks to a new report from former ESPN boxing writer Dan Rafael, who says the Joshua vs Wilder deal is actually for TWO fights, and not just one.
Rafael says his source expects contracts for the two-fight deal to be signed ahead of Saturday night, paving the way for an incredible three months for heavyweight boxing.
That Saturday night blockbuster also includes the likes of Filip Hrgovic, Daniel Dubois, Jarrell Miller and Frank Sanchez in action, but things really ramp up in the first quarter of 2024.
Riyadh season reaches a peak with the eagerly-awaited heavyweight title unification match between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk on February 17. Then just a couple of weeks later we get the first instalment of that Joshua vs Wilder epic.
