By Daniele D’Alessio
ANTHONY Joshua vs Deontay Wilder is a fight that should have happened several years ago. Once upon a time, from 2016 to 2019, Joshua and Wilder were both reigning world heavyweight champions.
Joshua was a unified champion with the IBF, WBA and WBO titles, while Wilder held the WBC strap. But to the dismay of boxing fans a fight featuring two of the biggest punchers in the division did not happen.
After being knocked out twice by Tyson Fury in 2020 and 2021, Wilder began his hiatus from the sport, and it felt like there was no way back for ‘The Bronze Bomber.’
This was until the American made his return against a former sparring partner in Robert Helenius in 2022 and proved he still had that dynamite in his right hand.
Meanwhile, Joshua had his own shortcomings, with back-to-back losses against Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022. However, following a three-fight winning streak, including a dominant fifth-round stoppage win over Otto Wallin, AJ was touted to face Wilder again.
Anthony Joshua lands his left jab on Otto Wallin (Getty Images)
All Wilder had to do was beat Joseph Parker in the main event, yet he lost every round and the lucrative showdown with Joshua seemed to be gone for good.
And when Wilder got the chance to redeem himself on the Queensbury vs Matchroom, 5v5 card, against Zhilei Zhang, he was knocked out in brutal fashion.
But professional boxing is fickleness personified. Despite destroying Francis Ngannou in two rounds – something Fury couldn’t do, Joshua recently failed in his bid to become a three-time world champion.
He went into his career-defining contest with Daniel Dubois as a heavy favourite. He came out a dismantled man. Still, with Saudi Arabia and Riyadh Season involved, when one door closes for a household name, another almost certainly opens.
Joshua and Wilder currently find themselves in the same boat. One is three years older than the other yet both are in the latter stages of their careers. Both, to many, have seen better days.
So, a fight between these two future Hall of Famers arguably makes sense. If history has taught us anything, it’s that getting a highly sought-after matchup late is better than not getting it all.
Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquaio were past their peak when they fought, but the majority of hardcore boxing fans and countless casuals still tuned in.
The same can be said for British rivals Amir Khan and Kell Brook. It shouldn’t have taken until the end of their careers for this bout to occur, but it was memorable and fits nicely in the record books.
KHAN-BROOK PROMOTION 19-2-22, AO ARENA, MANCHESTER, PIC LAWRENCE LUSTIG, AMIR KHAN V KELL BROOK.
After all, neither Joshua nor Wilder seem ready to hang up the gloves. Yet based on their last performances, many would argue they are not two top heavyweights.
Of course, Joshua has the option to rematch Dubois. And if we look at his career, he did perform better in both his rematches against Andy Ruiz Jr and Usyk.
The question is: is it worth the risk for AJ? He was dominated by Dubois over five rounds and suffering another knockout could have worse repercussions than just an extra loss on his record.
Indeed, AJ is a warrior and he went out on his shield. There are only so many times you can keep bouncing back, though. At this stage, Joshua avenging his defeat to Dubois would be a bigger upset than Dubois’ win in their first encounter.
Like a game of snakes and ladders, Wilder might have been seen as a fight too dangerous for Joshua a few years ago. But ‘The Bronze Bomber’s’ aura of destruction has significantly decreased.
As for Wilder, you have to imagine the AJ fight is the one they think they can now win and get paid handsomely in the process. So, negotiations with Team Joshua could be smooth, especially with His Excellency around.
Overall, AJ’s next opponent is dependent on what he values at this stage of his career. Facing and beating Wilder would not return him to the heavyweight summit. Nevertheless, it would be another big payday and a perceptibly easier option to see what he has left after getting knocked out by Dubois. Then again, if Joshua’s primary focus is legacy, Wilder is not the answer.
In fact, AJ getting revenge on Dubois would throw him back into the mix and set him up to face the winner of Fury-Usyk 2. Plus, he would join the likes of Muhammad Ali, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield as a three-time heavyweight world champion.