Deontay Wilder wants to fight Anthony Joshua. The 39-year-old heavyweight from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, made his intentions clear after his recent return to the ring.
Wilder hadn't fought for over a year before his comeback in May 2025. He stopped Tyrrell Anthony Herndon in the seventh round at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas. The non-title bout marked Wilder's return to winning ways after back-to-back losses to Joseph Parker in December 2023 and Zhilei 'Big Bang' Zhang in June 2024.
The former WBC heavyweight champion now has his sights set on bigger challenges. In a recent interview with The Fighter's Voice, Wilder expressed confidence about a future clash with Joshua:
"Most definitely [the AJ fight will happen]… we're still in it and we're still active and we're gonna meet each other."
Wilder sounded optimistic about the current state of boxing and the possibility of big fights happening:
"You know it's a lot of great things that has been going on in boxing you know with different people that's getting involved and making the best fights happen at this appropriate time, you know and I'm looking forward to it all."
The American boxer emphasized his experience and strategic approach to his career:
"I don't have no time to take no steps back, you know we have a strategic plan that we have planned set for and we're following along with it but if we have to take certain shortcuts and certain things we will do so. I am a veteran in this business at this moment in time and I love every bit of it."
Joshua, 35, from Watford, England, is also looking to bounce back after a shocking defeat to Daniel Dubois in September 2024. The two-time unified heavyweight champion plans to return to the ring before the end of 2025 and seems interested in a showdown with Wilder.
Both fighters have something to prove. Wilder wants to show he can still compete at the highest level, while Joshua aims to reclaim his spot at the top of the heavyweight division. A fight between these two former champions could be just what boxing fans have been waiting for.
