Report: Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua Haven't Agreed to Fight, Have 'Various' Issues

On Wednesday, ESPN's Mike Coppinger reported that Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder had agreed to fight on March 9 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

But boxing journalist Dan Rafael refuted that report on Thursday, saying that no agreement had yet been reached, though the two sides were working toward a March 9 bout:

Granted, any matchup is likely contingent on both men winning their respective fights on Dec. 23 in Saudi Arabia, with Joshua taking on Otto Wallin and Wilder facing Joseph Parker.

Promoter Eddie Hearn told Coppinger that the two were fighting on the same night to lead to an eventual bout between the stars:

"The reason that fight is happening with both on the same night is to prepare for and build a fight between the two. So, the contracts aren't signed, talks continue. But everybody wants to make that fight."

"... Everyone's saying, 'Well, why are you fighting a tough fight before Wilder?' That was the fight that was proposed to us from Saudi. Joshua's never turned down a fight. Wallin's been on our list for the last two fights. The only reason we haven't boxed him is because he's a southpaw. So, to fight a southpaw on six weeks' notice with a new trainer, not ideal, but [the Saudis] like the fight. They fancy the fight. Fingers crossed."

Joshua, 34, is 26-3 in his career and previously held the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles before losing them to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021. After consecutive losses to Usyk, he's bounced back with victories over Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius.

Wilder, 38, is 42-3-1 in his career and previously held the WBC heavyweight title, defending it 10 times, before losing it to Tyson Fury. He lost two straight bouts against Fury before recovering to defeat Helenius himself in Oct. 2022.

Fury vs. Usyk promises to be one of the biggest heavyweight fights in recent memory when the two square off on Feb. 17. But a Joshua-Wilder matchup wouldn't be far behind.

Wallin isn't so convinced the fight will ever happen, however, with his sights set firmly on defeating Joshua.

"If he is overlooking me, so much better for me," he told Coppinger. "And if it's true that they have the fight with Wilder made, I think that's a great thing. He has to come out and look good in his fight, and when he won't, he's going to get frustrated."