Deontay Wilder has kept a dignified silence as one-time rival Anthony Joshua mentions the American as a potential next opponent.
Wilder is keeping out of the public eye for now as he contemplates his future in the sport. “The Bronze Bomber” intends to put his faith in alternative methods to see if he will prolong his career or not.
Despite having no word on whether Wilder will fight again, Joshua has taken time out of his day to namedrop the former WBC heavyweight champion.
Joshua has a fill-in date coming this summer as a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk has to wait due to the Ukraine war.
Usyk is back in his native land defending his country, alongside Wladmir and Vitali Klitschko, plus Vasyl Lomachenko.
The absence of the three-belt ruler sees Joshua facing months out unless he finds an alternative foe. That’s where Wilder comes in.
AJ sees Wilder as a possible warm-up for Usyk as he states facing the best around is preferable to another knock-over. However, WBN understands Wilder holds no interest in meeting Joshua on DAZN, what would probably be a DAZN Pay Per View.
DEONTAY WILDER RETURN
When Wilder does make his comeback from back-to-back losses against Tyson Fury, it’s far more likely to be in a Showtime of FOX PPV under the auspices of Al Haymon.
Andy Ruiz Jr. was the initial target for Haymon to face Wilder, as WBN reported first. Now, with Wilder still off the table, Ruiz is eyeing a battle with Luis Ortiz.
The winner of that clash could be a consideration for Wilder, but Ortiz would be a hard sell if he came through victorious.
Wilder has already defeated Ortiz twice via knockout. Therefore, Ruiz would be the preferred choice all around.
Regarding Joshua, aiming for someone like Joe Joyce or Otto Wallin makes more sense outside the DAZN bubble due to a lack of depth inside the network.
Lawrence Lustig
JOSEPH PARKER
Few options lie in the heavyweights currently signed to the DAZN ranks. Matchroom Boxing competitors are Alen Babic, Dempsey McKean, Fabio Wardley, Filip Hrgovic, Johnny Fisher, Joseph Parker, Solomon Dacres, and Zhang Zhilei.
The one name that stands out would be Parker. That’s a far more realistic prospect for Joshua in facing somebody he’s already beaten.
He cannot afford a loss, or the Usyk rematch turns into a dumpster fire. Parker will potentially take his spot if the result from the first fight gets reversed.
But Wilder vs. Joshua this summer? – Dream on.
The views expressed in this article are opinions of Phil Jay.
Phil has over ten years of boxing news experience. Founding editor of World Boxing News since 2010. WBN has over one billion views on all platforms.
Attending over 200 events and scoring over 400 fights, Phil has overseen WBN to a quarter of a million followers on social media.
Follow WBN on Twitter @WorldBoxingNews.