Deontay Wilder Says Anthony Joshua Fight Is Biggest in the World over Tyson Fury Bout

Deontay Wilder said a potential long-awaited showdown with Anthony Joshua is the biggest fight the boxing world has to offer right now.

"The biggest fight in the world is not [Tyson Fury], it's me versus Anthony Joshua," Wilder told Michael Babcock of TMZ Sports on Friday. "That's still the biggest fight in the world. Everywhere I go, people talk about that fight. That's the one that they want to see."

Wilder and Joshua have been linked for the past handful of years, but the sides have never been able to reach an agreement to make the heavyweight bout a reality.

Since Wilder has lost two straight fights against Fury, there hasn't been much widespread clamoring for a fourth bout between the stars. Their first meeting in 2018 resulted in a split-decision draw before Fury scored knockouts in the pair of rematches.

The Bronze Bomber has been calling out Joshua for years, saying all the way back in 2017 that he was ready to face the British sensation.

"I've been waiting on that fight for a long time now," Wilder said after a win over Bermane Stiverne. "I declare war upon you. Do you accept my challenge? ... I've been waiting for a long time. I know I'm the champion. I know I'm the best. Are you up for the test?"

At the time, a clash between the undefeated heavyweight champions probably would have been the best fight on the table. It's not so clear that's the case now.

Wilder and Joshua have combined for five losses and a draw over their last 10 fights. Joshua is coming off back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk and shockingly suffered a knockout loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019.

It's a situation similar to the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao matchup in 2015. Fans waited so long for them to step in the ring together, but by the time a deal was finally made the fight was only a shell of what it could have been a few years earlier.

So, even though the possibility of Wilder facing off with Joshua would still generate some attention, it's no longer the must-see event it would have been in 2017 or 2018.

In the bigger picture, Wilder told TMZ he's planning to retire around his 40th birthday. He'll turn 37 on Oct. 22.

Next up for the Alabama native is a meeting with Robert Helenius on Saturday night at the Barclays Center in New York City.