Deontay Wilder won’t be lamenting missing out on another potential fight with Anthony Joshua.
American Wilder, a former WBC world heavyweight champion, had been floated by Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn as a potential opponent for AJ this summer.
Matchroom Boxing chief Hearn suggested that Joshua would consider boxing Wilder before fighting Tyson Fury in late 2026.
Joshua will next box in July, but not against Wilder, but against an unheralded Albanian, Christian Prengga, in Riyadh.
The American’s manager Shelley Finkel insists Wilder is not frustrated by missing out on a fight with Joshua this summer.
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Deontay Wilder talks about who he might face next after split decision win over Derek Chisora - and would be open to a fight with British star Moses Itauma
“You can’t be disappointed in something that never happened,” Finkel told Sky Sports.
“Eddie didn’t contact us and Joshua clearly had no intention of fighting Deontay Wilder.
“It’s the same old story, just the dates have changed.”
Matchroom declined to comment when contacted by Sky Sports.
Joshua and Wilder have come close to an agreement in the past.
Back in 2019, the fight was supposed to be a clash between the undisputed heavyweight world champions, and it briefly seemed inevitable that Joshua would lose to Andy Ruiz, a loss that AJ would seek to avenge.
Most recently, the two fought in the same match in 2023 when Joshua defeated Otto Wallin. Only then did Wilder fail, losing to an unexpected Joseph Parker.
Wilder competed in boxing earlier this month, defeating Derek Chisora in the UK, and will be looking for further opportunities.
The American has also been rumored to face unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
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“It can happen and it will happen,” Wilder previously told Sky Sports. “As long as he doesn’t retire, if he does, that’s fine with me. I have to achieve what I set out to do at the beginning of my career.
“Why not score a goal while you’re inside the ring? I think so. It’s an overwhelming feeling for me to unify the division. It’s something I never got.”
He added, “I’m hearing a lot of things. I’m not hearing too many things. I’m hearing he wants to fight me and then all of a sudden he says he doesn’t want to fight me. When you’re in the boxing business, you don’t really know what to believe.
“He’s one of the best players of our time. I need him to accomplish what I need to accomplish.”
