Anthony Joshua’s Promoter Says He Wants Deontay Wilder after Beating Robert Helenius

Julian Finney/Getty Images

Anthony Joshua has his sights set on facing Deontay Wilder.

His promoter, Eddie Hearn, said the former heavyweight champion wanted Wilder next after knocking out Robert Helenius in the seventh round on Saturday.

“That’s the fight we want,” he said, per ESPN’s Nick Parkinson. “We have a three-fight plan: Helenius, Wilder and [WBC champion] Tyson Fury. That’s the ambition of the team. He’s a mature heavyweight now, and against Helenius he took his time to deliver one of the knockouts of the year. He’s ready now for some marquee fights. He’s smarter now. He’s going to take less risks.”

Joshua, 33, has never faced Wilder or Fury. But since losing back-to-back fights to Oleksandr Usyk—the first of which cost him a slew of heavyweight titles—Joshua has recovered in 2023 by beating Jermaine Franklin (unanimous decision) and now Helenius.

Wilder, 37, responded to a pair of losses against Fury by beating Helenius as well. He’ll be a far great challenge for Joshua, should that fight happen, than Helenius proved to be. Wilder is quicker and more powerful, and Joshua’s cautious approach early on Saturday likely wouldn’t fly against Wilder.

And then’s there’s Fury, the 35-year-old heavyweight champion who is 33-0-1 in his career and who everyone wants a piece of in the division. His only blemish is a draw against Wilder, which he responded to by beating him twice.

Booking a fight against Fury is no guarantee for Joshua should he manage to get past Wilder. Beating him is an even taller task.

But it starts with Wilder.

“We will look to try and close that deal in the next couple days,” Hearn said Saturday. “Josh is ready for that fight. He’s given everything to this sport. He’s given everything to British boxing. He’s ready now for some big marquee fights.”

Joshua was one of the biggest stars in the sport before a loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019 and the pair of losses against Usyk. Having him back in prime form and fighting against some of the biggest boxers in the sport would undoubtedly be great for the heavyweight division.

And without question, a Joshua vs. Wilder match would do numbers. It’s a logical bout for both fighters.