AJ Vs. Wilder Is ‘Locked In For December’ – Says Eddie Hearn

A heavyweight fight between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder is ‘locked in for December.’

That is according to Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn. Speculation has been emerging over a fight ever since Joshua beat Jermaine Franklin via a unanimous decision.

Thereafter, reports emerged that Saudi Arabia was considering a four-man heavyweight tournament featuring them, as well as Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. 

Subsequently, Joshua and Wilder were targeting a summer tune-up bout in preparation for that mega fight.

Joshua is fighting Dillian Whyte on August 12th, 2023, while Wilder struggles to agree a bout with Andy Ruiz Jr. 

As such, the pressure is on Joshua to perform and get a victory over Whyte in order to keep his hopes of a Wilder fight alive.

And by the looks of it, the fight has been agreed subject to an official announcement. 

Hearn’s Comments

“This one is wild because AJ has got the Wilder fight locked in for December. We had meetings last week with the Saudis. Obviously, that’s one of the biggest fights in boxing, and he wanted to fight in the interim.

“You know, he’s been working with Derrick James, he wanted to have that fight, and he was insistent it was Dillian Whyte.

“I wasn’t over the moon because I know it’s dangerous… You’ve got that Deontay Wilder fight in December, he could’ve just waited and had an easy, gimme fight at the O2 [Arena]. But, he’s decided to roll the dice,” Hearn