Arum Tells Joshua And Wilder To Fight Each Other
Bob Arum has suggested that Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder fight each other following their recent form.
The two boxers are coming off losses as questions remain over where their next opponent will come from. Joshua was knocked out by Daniel Dubois in the fifth round in his last fight. He was dropped four times in the defeat as he missed out on becoming the IBF Heavyweight Champion, ending his hopes of becoming a three-time world champion. That would have put him in position for an undisputed title shot against the winner of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. Wilder has lost his last two fights, coming up short against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang.
Wilder’s Form
He lost a unanimous decision against Joseph Parker as the latter outboxed him to win a unanimous decision. That ended hopes of a Joshua fight after they had signed a two-fight deal. This was contingent upon both of them winning their fights. Wilder attempted to reassert his position as a top heavyweight when he faced Zhang. However, the Chinese heavyweight knocked him out in the fifth round with suggestions that Wilder would now retire.
Wilder’s trainer, Malik Scott, has confirmed that the Bronze Bomber will aim to fight next year. That has left Joshua and Wilder as a potential match-up. They were linked with an undisputed heavyweight fight in 2019. Joshua was the Unified Heavyweight Champion, while Wilder had the WBC belt. However, the fights never got made as the two boxers moved on.
Joshua would face Andy Ruiz Jr., losing his belts before winning them in the rematch. He would then come up short against Oleksandr Usyk, losing twice to the Ukrainian. Wilder chose to face Tyson Fury in a trilogy. The first fight was a draw before the Bronze Bomber lost the next two as he was no longer the WBC Heavyweight Champion. The fight never got made, and fans were disappointed. But there could be one last chance to see it now that the two are coming off losses.
Arum Reacts
“No, you don’t have an off night getting out of you that way. I just think AJ has been through a lot of wars. I think it’s over for him as well as over for [Deontay] Wilder.” “Maybe they can fight each other. That’d be good,” Arum said
Nevertheless, the demand to see the fight is less. Joshua has a bigger fight against Tyson Fury, while the Dubois rematch also offers him an opportunity to avenge his loss. Wilder’s form shows that he is not the same fighter as his right hand and jab were missing in the Parker and Zhang losses. Wilder entered into boxing to raise money for his daughter, who suffers from Spina Bifida. The three Tyson Fury fights have secured his financial future, meaning he is not pressured to fight.
And if there is no way of getting closer to a title shot, Wilder must decide if he wants to continue taking punishment. The same applies to Joshua, with Teddy Atlas stating that the Brit should retire if the only motivation is to make money. Joshua has reportedly earned over $200 million in his career. While the Fury fight offers another big purse, he must decide whether it is worth taking that risk. But a Joshua-Wilder fight could be one last chance for either to earn another big purse.
Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com.
