Shelley Finkel, one of the managers of the American heavyweight Deontay Wilder, claims that he sees no problems in organizing the fight with Anthony Joshua in 2023. Wilder returned to the ring earlier this month by knocking out Robert Helenius in the first round in Brooklyn. This victory allowed Wilder to recover from consecutive losses at the hands of the reigning WBC world champion Tyson Fury.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua's promoter, contacted Finkel a few months ago to discuss a possible fight, but his manager told him Wilder had to fight Helenius first.
“Eddie Hearn sent us an email a couple of months ago, but we said that the most important thing for us is Deontay’s training and what he will do with Helenius,” Finkel said in an interview with Fight Hub.
“Now that he has done that, let's see if Eddie comes to us with the truckload of money he promised and the deal from Joshua he was talking about. We are here. He knows how to contact us, so we'll see. Let's see if he changes his mind after knocking out Helenius."
Joshua, who is likely to return in early 2023, is also looking to bounce back from two straight losses to reigning unified champion Oleksandr Usyk. Wilder admits that the fight with Joshua should have taken place several years ago - when they were both champions. He remains firmly convinced that the fight with the British star remains one of the biggest fights in boxing.
“Me and Joshua should have fought many years ago, I could have been the undisputed champion. The chance is not lost, we are both still performing, so this opportunity has not yet been lost, ”Wilder said in an interview with The Good Fight.
“I still get stopped and asked when I will fight Joshua. Some fans still think that this is the biggest fight in the world. the question is whether the fight will take place. It's a matter of time, we just need time. We won't go for Eddie Hearn. He's already tired of us. We talked with Eddie Hearn for about six months, and in the end we did not achieve anything. They have their own story that they tell everyone, but I know the facts. He's a big manipulator," Wilder added.
