Boxing: Anthony Joshua wants to fight Deontay Wilder in April

  • 15/12/2018

Heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua has issued a challenge to Deontay Wilder to face him in a unification bout next April.

The WBA, WBO and IBF world heavyweight champion wants to add Wilder's WBC belt to his collection, which would unify the division.  

Earlier this month, Wilder barely defended his belt, when he drew with Tyson Fury in Los Angeles and the WBC has since ordered an immediate rematch.

Boxing: Anthony Joshua wants to fight Deontay Wilder in April

But Joshua thinks Wilder should skip the Fury rematch and join him in the ring at Wembley in front of 100,000 fans.

"I'm willing to fight Deontay Wilder on 13 April in London," he told ESPN's First Take. "I don't know what more I need to do to get that message across.

"He's more interested in fighting Tyson Fury - Fury holds no world titles.

"I've booked the date in advance, booked the venue in advance. I want to make my point clear in front of everyone - I'm willing to fight any one of these guys, especially the champion, Deontay Wilder.

"I'm the one leading the pack since I made my debut. Five years in, several title defences and I'm running the game.

"I mean business. I don't know what more I need to do to get that message across to the world.

"I can handle my business and I'm willing to do that in the ring."

But if Wilder stays on course for a rematch with Fury, a possible option for Joshua is former champion Wladimir Klitschko.

Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn told IFL.TV that the Russian had been in contact to say he wanted to come out of retirement.

"He wants to come back," Hearn said of Klitschko.

"I think he text[ed] AJ and said, 'I want to come back. I feel like I can beat everyone in the division right now'."

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Boxing: Anthony Joshua wants to fight Deontay Wilder in April