The heavyweight rivals Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua will finally meet in the ring after years of anticipation.
Boxing fans have been sceptical about any rumoured big fight involving heavyweights recently, given the lack of high-profile match ups in the division so far this year.
It had been hoped that both Joshua and Wilder would both be in action this summer ahead of their proposed meeting in December.
The Briton, who beat Jermaine Franklin in his first fight under new trainer Derrick James in April, has been in talks to fight Dillian Whyte in a rematch while Wilder has been in negotiations with Andy Ruiz Jr.
Wilder also assured 78SportsTV that the blockbuster bout with Joshua in the Middle East is definitely happening.
He said “The next fight, we’ve been working very hard, you’ve seen me training. It’s always been Ruiz, but if he doesn’t want to accept it then we will move on, or maybe hold out until the Joshua fight, because that’s definitely going down.
“Y’all need to get your money ready for that.”
Joshua and Wilder have been on collision course since the former picked up his first world title in 2016 against Charles Martin.
A year earlier, Wilder was crowned WBC champion, a belt he would successfully defend 10 times before Tyson Fury ended his reign in February 2020.
When Joshua became unified IBF, WBA and WBO champion in 2018, expectation for them to meet intensified but a deal was never struck. Despite both men losing their world titles since, the intrigue over one of the biggest fights in the sport remains.
Chioma Kalu
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