'It isn't if, it's just when' – Deontay Wilder says Anthony Joshua fight MUST happen ahead of American's boxing return | The Sun

ANTHONY JOSHUA can still revisit his Deontay Wilder rivalry even though the heavyweight pair are now beltless.

After 32-year-old AJ gobbled up the WBA, IBF  and WBO belts his team spent six months haggling with the former WBC king but could never get an undisputed deal done.


The Watford icon eventually beaten by Andy Ruiz Jr before Wilder lost two magnificent clashes with Tyson Fury.

Bad blood between the two power punchers remains as both teams blame the other for blowing the mega-money deal that should have happened in 2018.

The 36-year-old – who claims AJ turned down around £40m ($50m) at the time to fight him – told The Good Fight: "Me and Joshua should have fought years ago, I could have been the undisputed champion.

"The chance isn't gone, we are both still in the business of fighting so that opportunity will always be there.

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"People still always stop me and ask when I'm fighting Joshua. Some people still think that's the biggest fight in the world, between us two.

"It is the No1 match-up that people still always ask me about.

"It's not a matter of 'if' the fight happens. It's a matter of when, we just need the tight timing."

Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn always insisted Team Wilder's offer for a US showdown was not legit.

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And he soured any working relationship with childish name calling of Wilder's veteran manager Shelly Finkel.

The Bronze Bomber will entertain the AJ battle again but they will not get caught up in Hearn's tricks.

"We will not fall in line with Eddie Hearn's games?" Wilder said. "They drained us.

"We dealt with Eddie Hearn for around six months and they just gave us the round around.

"They have their story, which they tell everyone, but I know the facts and he is a big manipulator."


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