Deontay Wilder promises Anthony Joshua fight will happen

Deontay Wilder can put on a show against Dominic Breazeale and others, but the real fight all fans want to see is a bout between him and Anthony Joshua. Wilder says that will happen but just wants patience from the fans on that front.

Wilder spoke with Jim Gray in an interview on Showtime after his first-round knockout of Breazeale on Saturday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Gray said fans want to see Wilder against better competition. Wilder understood and promised the fight with Joshua would happen.

“I know a lot of people want to know when the (Anthony) Joshua fight happening. All these fights are in discussion. No doors are closed; all parties that’s involved are talking. It’s going to take my team and his team, maybe me and him as well, to sit down, handle this and squash everything and get this fight done for the fans,” Wilder said. “This fight will happen. With patience comes time and I just want [the fans] to have patience and give it a little time to make this happen.

“We risk our lives, so we want to make sure we get the best and most money that’s possible. Let us get our time to iron out our differences, and you guys will know when it happens.”

Joshua and Wilder have gone back-and-forth for well over a year about a potential fight, with Wilder offering Joshua $50 million last year to fight. Joshua is the IBO, IBF, WBA, and WBO heavyweight champion. He is signed to DAZN, and Wilder is signed with PBC, which makes it challenging for a fight to be arranged, but if there is enough willingness and flexibility, something can be worked out. Maybe both sides are trying to play things carefully and time things right before taking on the toughest fights of their careers.