Anthony Joshua has teased fans about a Deontay Wilder fight by admitting there might be some truth in reports of a showdown in Saudi Arabia.
Anthony Joshua has welcomed a potential blockbuster battle against Wilder, with reports even suggesting that Tyson Fury could even face Oleksandr Usyk in an undisputed world heavyweight title fight on the same night in December.
Wilder’s manager Shelly Finkel told Sky Sports that the American was willing to fight Anthony Joshua, a challenge which has been accepted by the two-time world champion.
READ ALSO: Anthony Joshua wants Tyson Fury to fight him
“Have you ever heard of anything like that before? Two heavyweight clashes on the same night,” Joshua said.
“The rumours that are circulating, there might be some truth behind it.”
Anthony Joshua sealed a unanimous decision victory over Jermaine Franklin at The O2 earlier this month, while Wilder demolished Robert Helenius inside one round last October.
“I’m preparing for that big fight, when it comes. I’m just taking it one fight at a time and building, so that by the time I get to that finish line, I’ve got something in the tank. That’s how I’m getting on with this year.
“I’ve had my first fight; I’ve spoken to my coach, hopefully I can fight in July or August – keep that momentum – and then by December, there’s rumours going around that I’m going to be in a big showdown – and I can’t wait.”
READ ALSO: Anthony Joshua beats Franklin, calls out Fury
Anthony Joshua remains confident
Anthony Joshua has teamed up with new trainer Derrick James after two competitive defeats to Usyk and remains confident that he can still defeat the division’s top fighters.
“The road to the championship is not easy by any means. It’s like a marathon, you can’t look at the finish line when you’ve only run the first 100 metres. You’ve got to take it step by step.
“I feel like I’m an intellectual fighter with how I approach my career and my boxing.”
Usyk is expected to defend his WBA, IBF and WBO titles against Daniel Dubois, who holds the WBA ‘regular’ belt.
“At the moment the talks are only for Dubois,” said Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk, when asked by Sky Sports about the Fury fight.
Fury does not currently have any title commitments, with the WBC waiting to see whether a proposed final eliminator between Wilder and Ruiz Jr will go ahead.
“The mandatory will be decided in a fight between Wilder and Ruiz,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman told Sky Sports.
“It has not happened, so at this moment Fury is free to defend his WBC title.”
Asked whether Fury could have mandatory requirements this year, Sulaiman added: “Most likely yes, it depends on when Wilder and Ruiz fight.”
Martin Bakole says he has learnt how to stop Anthony Joshua
Martin Bakole could not be more clear. He is ready. Ready for Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk or any of the top level heavyweights.
Bakole’s confidence is based on his past spars with Fury, Usyk, Joshua and more. Thanks to that he’s convinced he now knows how to beat them.
“I was learning from them, now I’m ready for them,” he said.
“I’m very ready now for my team to make a big fight for me because I can’t wait anymore.”
He has spent plenty of time in camp with Anthony Joshua. Bakole maintains: “I learned how to stop him.
“Inside he doesn’t want to be put under pressure. Joshua, I’m going to put him under pressure and he’ll give up,” he continued.
“He doesn’t know how to fight on the inside. So give him pressure on the inside till he gives up.”
Bakole believes he has identified weaknesses in other top fighters. Usyk’s team deny that Bakole halted the unified champion in one of their sparring sessions, but the Congolese heavyweight is adamant he found a way to hurt Usyk in sparring “with a big body punch”.
He was a key sparring partner for Usyk ahead of his two fights with Anthony Joshua. But fed up with only getting a couple of rounds in as the champion rotated sparring partners, he had wanted to leave an impression.
“Sometimes you only work two rounds in a day and it’s not enough,” he said. “I say okay this time I’ll show you.
“He took one or two minutes to recover.”
Bakole added with a smile: “I don’t think they’ll call me anymore.”
Usyk is in negotiations to fight Daniel Dubois but if that fight were to fall through, Bakole would happily step in to fight either man.
“Daniel Dubois has not got heart,” he said. “I’m No 2 in the WBA. He’s got the WBA regular title, Oleksandr Usyk is the ‘Super’ champ. So that is a fight I want after this fight, if he’s ready.
“If not he will give up the belt, so I can fight someone else. Why not Joshua for WBA regular?”
Those dreams could only be realised if Bakole comes through his next fight. He will fight the ‘Hulk’, Ukraine’s Ihor Shevadzutskyi on Saturday.
“My career is on the line in this fight,” he said. “The guy is 10-0, he’s dangerous. He’s got a nice left hook. He’s got good combinations.
“He’s believing in himself, focused. I can’t play with a guy who’s coming like that. He wants to take over my place, he wants to take everything I have right now. Because I’m No 2 with the WBA, I’ve a top 10 ranking, so I can’t play.”
The crowd at the G2A Arena in Rzeszow, a Polish city close to the Ukraine border, will likely be fully behind the Hulk, but Bakole is unworried.
“I love that,” he said. “That happened against Mariusz Wach, everyone came for Wach and that happened to me in Paris, everyone came to support Tony Yoka. So I love that. That gives me motivation.
“That gives me courage and tells me to stop him. Because I know if I stop him I’m stopping all people that came to support him.”
