Deontay Wilder will ‘definitely’ fight Anthony Joshua even if he loses his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk – Wilder’s promoter, Shelly Finkel reveals

 

Deontay Wilder’s promoter has disclosed that the American will definitely fight Anthony Joshua even if the Briton loses his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.

Joshua lost to Ukrainian Usyk in London last month, a defeat which cost him his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO titles and wrecked his chances of taking on Tyson Fury in 2022.

The British boxing is currently pushing for a rematch with Usyk to claim back his belts next year but Wilder’s representative Shelly Finkel, who is preparing his client to take on Fury later this week, has kept the door open for a Joshua-Wilder fight in the future.

Speaking to The Sun about a potential clash between the Bronze Bomber and Joshua, Finkel said: ‘We’d definitely fight him, win or lose.’

However, the American boxing promoter added: ‘If I was managing Joshua, a rematch is where I would go (next). I’m looking out for Deontay, and that’s all I’m looking out for, but I have been a fan of Joshua.

‘He’s been a good representative of the heavyweight division. He needs to redeem himself, I don’t think he’s the same fighter he was before the fight with Ruiz and I feel early in this fight he got hit and wobbled by Usyk and that changed everything.

‘He didn’t come forward, he came on a bit in the middle rounds, but the things is he didn’t do what he had to do it win. I think Usyk will be more confident in the next fight but Joshua has a very good opportunity in the rematch.

‘I picked him to win the first fight because of his size and I didn’t think Usyk looked great against either Chazz Witherspoon or Derek Chisora.’