{"id":414969,"date":"2026-02-08T18:03:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T18:03:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/414969\/"},"modified":"2026-02-08T18:03:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T18:03:15","slug":"former-heavyweight-champion-says-he-has-to-face-anthony-joshua-we-can-fight-3-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/414969\/","title":{"rendered":"Former heavyweight champion says he has to face Anthony Joshua: “We can fight 3 times”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Deontay Wilder<\/a> is preparing for a must-win fight against Derek Chisora<\/a> but \u2018The Bronze Bomber\u2019 says he \u2018has to cross paths\u2019 with Anthony Joshua<\/a> before he hangs up the gloves.<\/p>\n

Wilder ruled as the WBC heavyweight world champion for over five years, making 10 defences of the coveted crown before losing his undefeated record in a legendary rematch with Tyson Fury in Las Vegas<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That defeat kickstarted a devastating run for the American, who has lost four of his last six professional contests but remains linked to a shot at Oleksandr Usyk<\/a> and the unified heavyweight world titles.<\/p>\n

Although, to earn that fight, Wilder must prove that he is still capable of competing at the elite level by spoiling Derek Chisora\u2019s farewell fight in less than two months\u2019 time<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Yet, despite the scheduled fight date and a looming challenge against Usyk, Wilder told Sun Sport<\/a> that he still believes a long-awaited showdown with Joshua will finally happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have no regrets [regarding negotiations] at all. Of course, it is a situation where you want to give the fight fans, or just the fans in general, what they want to see, but it takes two to tango and it is what it is.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do know one thing, he is still in the business. I heard that he had retired, I don\u2019t know how long that would be but if he comes back and he is still in the business and I am still in the business [we can still fight].<\/p>\n

\u201cThe heavyweight division is very small, we can all fight each other three, four, five times because of how small our division is.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he is still in it and I am still in it, then of course [we can fight], why not? We have to cross paths at some point in time.<\/p>\n

Wilder-Chisora takes place at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday, April 4, with Viddal Riley expected to face EBU European cruiserweight champion Mateusz Masternak in the co-main event of the bill.<\/p>\n