ANTHONY JOSHUA has big-fight offers from all over the world but knows British fans will always be gutted Deontay Wilder blew their rivalry.
For 14 months around 2018, the London 2012 legend held the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight world titles and America’s Bronze Bomber was WBC boss.
REUTERSAnthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder’s long overdue grudge match went up in smoke[/caption]
GETTYJoseph Parker scuppered their £100m two-fight deal with an upset win over The Bronze Bomber[/caption]
REUTERSAJ still has big money fights on the horizon – despite the Wilder series falling through[/caption]
ReutersA clash with MMA man-mountain Francis Ngannou could be on the cards[/caption]
But the undisputed decider never happened – both teams accused the other of greed – and Saturday’s semi-final fights were supposed to finally secure the giant shootout.
Joshua, now 34, battered Otto Wallin for five Riyadh rounds but 38-year-old Wilder was bamboozled by brilliant Joseph Parker.
And the nine-figure two-fight deal – with March 9 the first planned fight – went up in smoke.
Croatian Filip Hrgovic wants to fight AJ for the IBF belt after Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk decide an undisputed ruler on February 17 and the strict sanctioning body likely make their red belt vacant afterwards.
But Cameroon’s MMA giant Francis Ngannou, who took Fury the distance in October and excellent Chinese southpaw Zhilei Zhang – who lost to AJ at London 2012 but just chinned Joe Joyce twice – also want to milk one of boxing’s biggest cash cows.
Joshua – seeming settled with new trainer and Hertfordshire neighbour Ben Davison – has options to burn in 2024.
“I’m not too sure what can happen from here,” he said after Wilder screwed the pooch with a dog of a performance.
“I’m sure, from a fan perspective, they will be more annoyed.
“For me, I always understand how this game is.
“If it’s a fight for the heavyweight championship of the world or fight a big-name opponent, I will always choose the heavyweight championship of the world because that’s the creme de la creme. It’s the most prestigious title you can win.”
After defeats against Andy Ruiz in 2019 and Usyk in 2021 and ‘22, Joshua was posed questions on motivation and retirement, which he hated.
But, twice in the build-up to the domination of the 6ft 6in Swede, it was AJ who said there was no future for him if he lost.
But at the post-fight press conference, from under a virginal white vest and dark, dark glasses, he explained that the word ‘quit’ is not in his well-tested vocabulary.
“I’m a fierce competitor,” he said. “Whether it’s spelling games, chess, Wordle, me and my friends always compete with each other.
“I think that you should always try to find that winning streak again, even if you’re coming up short a few times.
“The win pushes us on to higher heights, that’s the great thing about boxing.
GETTYAnthony Joshua was at his menacing and punishing best against Otto Wallin[/caption]
AFPJoshua stopped the Swedish slugger in the fifth round of their Saudi showdown[/caption]
“But, if you come short, you can only keep striving for greatness if you’re a competitor.
“I would have never given up if I fell short.”
The Day of Reckoning turned into a Night of Regret for Wilder, the once-terrifying knockout artist who spoke proudly of wanting a “body on his record” and vowed to knock Parker right out of the ring.
Instead, the father-of-eight was getting booed by the crowd from the second round and decently refused to try to excuse his woeful showing on an injury.
The overpaying new hosts are very unlikely to forgive him and even less likely to invite him back to the desert, even if AJ would happily take him on.
“Wilder just came up short,” the Brit hero said about his fallen foe. “He will live to fight another day.
“Me and him can still get it on, we can still get it cracking.
“I believe I’m a massive threat, Wilder is a massive threat, I think it does amazing numbers if we get it on.
“I will leave that to my managers, promoters, trainers to make the decision. I’m down to fight anyone, wherever, and whoever.”
GettyAnthony Joshua’s sights ae set on becoming thee-time heavyweight champion[/caption]