Anthony Joshua is scheduled to fight again in September, and his next opponent has been confirmed, with Deontay Wilder not being selected for a match against the former two-time heavyweight world champion.
Anthony Joshua is not slated to face Deontay Wilder in their much-anticipated heavyweight clash later this year. Instead, Joshua is likely to take on the winner of the bout between Daniel Dubois and Filip Hrgovic.
Joshua, a former two-time heavyweight world champion, is preparing for a comeback at Wembley Stadium after his last two fights occurred in Saudi Arabia. It appears his next opponent has already been determined.
Although Deontay Wilder was eager to face Joshua again following his loss to Joseph Parker last Christmas, the plans have shifted due to Wilder’s upcoming match with Zhilei Zhang on June 1.
Saudi Royal advisor Turki Alalshikh has indicated a preference for Wilder to fight American contender Jared Anderson rather than Joshua.
“The talented Jared Anderson is with us now on the August 3 Riyadh Season card at LA, against the ‘Bronze Bomber’ Deontay Wilder – if he’s ready by then to fight after June 1’s fight against Zhilei Zhang,” Alalshikh announced on X, according to Daily Record.
A potential fight between Wilder and Anderson would be featured on the undercard of the world title fight between Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov.
Meanwhile, Joshua has maintained an undefeated streak in his last four bouts, including a notable victory where he knocked out former UFC champion Francis Ngannou in just five minutes. Despite assurances that a fight against Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk would follow his victory, both champions are currently locked into a two-fight deal, according to a report from the Mirror.
Nonetheless, Alalshikh has committed to securing the toughest possible opponent for Joshua, a challenge that Joshua is eager to accept. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist has expressed his goal to compete against the top fighters in the sport, as he shared with talkSPORT:
“What he says is, ‘In the future I want people to look back at your record and say that you took on the best.’ I said, ‘Now you’re speaking my language. We’re on the same page and he’s on the same page as the fans as well. He’s trying to deliver what the fans want.”
