Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder “finishing deals” to appear in separate fights on December 23

By Elliot Worsell

IF something can lastly get Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder in a hoop collectively on the similar time, it’ll in all probability be Middle East cash and, particularly, the appreciable affect of General Entertainment Authority’s Turki Alalshikh, whose plan it’s to host one other main boxing occasion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 23.

Indeed, having dragged their heels by means of their respective prime years, to see Joshua and Wilder ultimately get collectively subsequent 12 months, with Joshua aged 33 and Wilder 38, won’t solely come at a substantial value however is, in actuality, one of the best we will now hope for.

It ought to have occurred sooner, of that there isn’t any doubt, however even for it to occur in 2024, with each nonetheless harmful and comparatively formidable, can be an important boon for the heavyweight division, the popularity of which took a sizeable knock when Tyson Fury determined to kill extra time in his profession by preventing former UFC star Francis Ngannou in October.

First, to transfer us a step nearer to Joshua vs. Wilder, there are plans to have the 2 heavyweights appear in separate bouts on the proposed December 23 occasion in Riyadh. That, according to Dan Rafael, is the hope of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and it sounds, too, as if offers for this to occur are each on the desk and in the method of being “finished”.

If true, it might actually deliver us nearer to seeing Joshua and Wilder share a hoop than we have now been for fairly some time now. It would additionally add additional credence to the idea that solely Middle East cash can assure the fights we want to see at heavyweight, and have been longing to see at heavyweight, really happen.

Anthony Joshua celebrates knocking out Robert Helenius on the O2 Arena on August 12, 2023 (Julian Finney/Getty Images)