By: Ken Hissner
Just when you think you have heard everything WBA, WBO, IBF & IBO Heavyweight Champion Anthony “AJ” Joshua announced over ESPN Radio recently he wants a “2 fight deal with Deontay, “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder.
First one will be in the UK possible Wembley Stadium in London holding 100,000 seats. The second one in the USA possibly Texas Stadium in Dallas, Madison Square Garden, NY, or Las Vegas have been mentioned.
Photo Credit: Anthony Joshua Twitter Account
What Joshua, 21-0 (20), of Watford, UK, doesn’t realize if it turns into another Joshua-Joe Parker sparring session who would pay to see a second one? Wilder, 40-0 (39), of Tuscaloosa, AL, waited until who this writer considers “the most dangerous heavyweight in the world” Cuban Louis “King Kong” Ortiz, 28-1 (24), of Miami, FL, punched himself out before he went on the offense. There will be no rematch from the Wilder team.
Joshua’s last two fights have been “lack luster” after what was his most exciting bout against former world champion Wladimir “Dr. Steelhammer” Klitschko in April of 2017 when Joshua had to come off the canvas to stop his 41 year-old opponent in the eleventh round to retain his IBF, IBO, WBA titles.
After struggling to stop late substitute Carlos Takam, 35-4-1 (27), from the Cameroon now residing in Seine-Saint-Denis, FR. Takam had been knocked out by former Olympic Gold Medalist Alexander “Russian Vityaz” Povetkin, of Chekov, RUS, then 27-1, in 2014, now 34-1 (24), who in March knocked out UK’s David Price, 22-4 (18), as the co-feature of the Joshua-Parker main event. Povetkin is the No. 1 contender in both the WBA and WBO and a likely opponent for Joshua if the Wilder bout doesn’t materialize.
Wilder’s No. 1 WBC contender if Jamaican Dillian “The Body Snatcher” Whyte, 23-1 (17), of London, UK. In his last bout he won the WBC Silver title knocking out Lucas “Big Daddy” Browne, now 25-1 (22), from Sydney, AUST, in a lopsided bout in March.
Whyte called out Wilder after the victory over the previously unbeaten Browne. Wilder coming to the UK to fight Whyte and Joshua in the main event of the same show defending against Povetkin would be the only reason to delay a Joshua-Wilder bout in the UK. Ortiz was the first No. 1 contender Wilder has defended against in his seven defenses. In November of 2017 he destroyed an out of shape Haitian Bermane “B.WARE” Stiverne, now 25-3-1, in 2:59 of the first round. Stiverne is the only Wilder opponent to have gone the distance with him in January of 2015.
The best situation would be in the Main Event Joshua against Wilder in the UK for all the titles with Povetkin and Whyte in the co-feature fighting the eliminator to meet the winner of the main event within six months.
