"That fight is enormous" - Deontay Wilder's manager believes a fight with Anthony Joshua is massive no matter the outcome of Joshua's next bout.
Deontay Wilder’s manager Shelly Finkel has expressed that a bout between ‘The Bronze Bomber’ and Anthony Joshua is still huge in 2022. Even if ‘AJ’ loses his next fight, Finkel believes the bout should be made next.
Finkel said:
"I believe that fight is enormous, even if [AJ] loses to Usyk... I don't believe Joshua - Usyk now is as big as Fury - Usyk is. And, being for all the belts, the Saudis may step up. Who knows? So there's a lot of moving pieces, but what I do know is there's four big names at this point and [they are] Fury, Usyk, Joshua, and Deontay. And this month, two of those guys will be fighting, and that will clarify what the future is.”
For years, a bout between Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua was seen as the biggest bout to make in boxing. At one point, Deontay Wilder was the WBC world heavyweight champion and Anthony Joshua was the WBA, WBO, and IBF world heavyweight champion. Both fighters were undefeated, and there was spite between the two of them.
Their promoters also did not get along, which was probably the reason the fight ultimately did not get made. Eddie Hearn, who has represented Anthony Joshua, despised Shelly Finkel and would often mock the veteran boxing manager.
Watch Eddie Hearn mock Shelly Finkel:
Now, Tyson Fury has shown that Deontay Wilder can be beaten, ‘The Gypsy King’ defeated Wilder via TKO twice following the draw that started their trilogy. In doing so, many considered him to be the best in the division.
One the other hand, Joshua himself has lost twice: once to Andy Ruiz Jr. and once to Oleksander Usyk.
However, the two are still big names in the heavyweight division. Wilder has only lost to the man most believe is king at heavyweight. Joshua avenged the first defeat against Ruiz and is hoping to do the same against Usyk. Even if Usyk beats Joshua for the second time, there is no shame in losing to the former undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world.
Now that both fighters have shown vulnerability, fans may finally get to see the bout that they have been dreaming about.
Deontay Wilder may make a return to boxing
The fact that Wilder’s manager is giving interviews about the fighters' future is a good sign for fight fans. Many have doubted whether Wilder will return after being beaten by Fury. Wilder lost his aura of invincibility and had made more than enough money to comfortably retire.
Watch Wilder speak about a potential return:
Wilder, however, has shown some signs of positivity since his most recent loss. ‘The Bronze Bomber’ recently unveiled a statue of himself that he had kept in storage for years. His name has also been floated by other PBC fighters such as Andy Ruiz who could potentially draw in fans as well.