Deontay Wilder is getting ready to step back into the ring, and he's eyeing a big fight with Anthony Joshua. The former heavyweight champ says a showdown with AJ could happen in 2025 or 2026.
Joshua's career is winding down. He's got about 2-3 fights left and he's working his way back after losing to Daniel Dubois. AJ is healing up from an injury and gearing up for one last run at the top.
There are a few options on the table for Joshua. He could try to get revenge against Dubois, who now holds the IBF belt. There's also talk about finally facing Tyson Fury, even though Fury's retired right now. But the fight that's got everyone talking is a possible clash with Wilder.
Wilder opened up about his comeback plans in a chat with 78 Sports TV. He said:
"Not this year, for sure, but in the near future. Maybe sometime next year, maybe a year after that. Everything, all that, is close. We just all got to do what we gotta do."
Before he can think about Joshua, Wilder's got to prove he's still got it. He's set to face Tyrrell Herdon in June 2024, his first fight in over a year. Wilder's coming off losses to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, so he knows he's got work to do.
"I got to get myself back together first. I gotta prove to myself that I'm back together like I feel. I had to take a wellness check. Something was seriously wrong with me, and at first I couldn't identify what was the problem.
I kept trying to talk myself out of the situation, encourage myself that it would be all right. Going through a phase and stuff like that, but the battle was [tougher] that what I thought it would be."
There's already interest in a Wilder-Joshua fight. Turki Alalshikh from Riyadh Season, who's been involved in AJ's last three fights, is keen. Promoter Eddie Hearn hasn't ruled it out either, but he wants to see how Wilder looks against Herdon first.
Both fighters are at crossroads in their careers. Joshua's nearing the end with just a few fights left, while Wilder's trying to climb back to the top. A clash between these two heavyweight stars could be just what both men need to cement their legacies.
