Deontay Wilder said he told Anthony Joshua he is ready to stage a blockbuster heavyweight fight after defeating Derek Chisora at The O2 on Saturday night. Wilder briefly spoke with Joshua after the bout and was heard calling him ‘scared’ after winning on points in the 50th fight of both fighters’ careers. He is already targeting Joshua as his likely number 51. The two men crossed paths several times on the night, and Wilder even walked past Joshua in the bowels of the arena before the fight.
In his post-fight press conference Wilder played down any confrontation, saying the interaction was simple: he greeted Joshua and told him ‘Now let’s get it on’. He added that he is ready for anyone in the heavyweight division and invited matchups across the board. ‘You can call me Mr Clean, because I want to clean up the whole division,’ Wilder said, stressing that his personality and passion are key parts of what he brings to heavyweight boxing.
Joshua had made his first public appearance since the fatal car crash in Nigeria on December 29 that killed close friends Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele, arriving at The O2 to support Chisora. It remains unclear when Joshua will return to the ring, but a bout with Wilder — long talked about but never agreed — would be a high-profile way to resume his career.
Wilder also said he is open to testing rising British prospect Moses Itauma, who improved to 14-0 with a brutal knockout of Jermaine Franklin in Manchester last month. Wilder said he had seen Itauma’s highlights and the Franklin stoppage, calling it a ‘hell of a KO’ and describing Itauma as a potential champion worth facing.
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