By Edet Ikotidem
Deontay Wilder believes a fight with Anthony Joshua is still “the number one fight in the world” as he prepares to return to action on Saturday.
Wilder, 36, last fought a year ago and will face Robert Helenius when he returns to New York.
The heavyweight’s goal is to become world champion again, but Wilder also has big plans for a fight against Anthony Joshua.
“I would love to have this fight in Africa,” he told reporters. “It’s still the number one fight in the world for everyone. Everywhere I go people are always talking about me versus Joshua.”
There have been several classic African heavyweight encounters, including Muhammad Ali’s fight with George Foreman in Kinshasa in 1974. “We both have roots there,” Wilder explained. “I think it would be an amazing place to have him, to come home to. To come back to the homeland. The continent is full of our people. I can only see that it’s an amazing fight whether you win, lose or draw.
“I think we will get the respect and love of all the people there.”
Wilder has seriously considered retiring after consecutive losses to Tyson Fury, but now says he intends to fight for another three years.
Also read: Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua: Fight British fans, Entire Boxing World Crave For
Joshua and Wilder were previously in talks for an undisputed bout in 2019 and 2020 when both men were still world champions.
Wilder held the WBC title while Joshua was the WBA (Super), WBO, and IBF champion.
Joshua recently failed to reach a deal with WBC champion Fury, but Wilder is confident a deal can be reached.
He said: “We are serious and we want them to be too. We tried to get into the fight and it didn’t work. It is a new day and time. Everything is possible.”
Joshua, the two-time world champion, will also soon be on the road to a comeback after successive defeats against united champion Oleksandr Usyk
Wilder believes the fights with Usyk, especially the rematch in August, showed Joshua has a “stamina” problem.
“I just felt he was very careful,” Wilder said of the Watford-born fighter. “It looks to me like he has serious stamina. I feel that’s why he didn’t want to trade much.
“He allowed him to back off a bit and not allow certain punches and combinations. I think if he solved it, you’d see a better Joshua, not just in that fight, but in the fights to come.
“I know if he’s able to put it all together, stamina and everything, I think you’ll see another Anthony Joshua.”
