Wilder has amongst four potential opponents for Joshua’s next fight but their mega-fight has now been ruled out following a statement from Saudi advisor Turki Alalshikh

Anthony Joshua will likely face the winner of Daniel Dubois vs Filip Hrgovic in September – and not Deontay Wilder.

Former two-time heavyweight world champion Joshua is set for a return at Wembley Stadium and his opponent has now become clear. Wilder was hoping to revive his chances of fighting Joshua after losing to Joseph Parker before Christmas when he fights Zhilei Zhang on June 1, but Saudi royal advisor Turki Alalshikh wants him to then face Jared Anderson instead of ‘AJ’

“The talented Jared Anderson is with us now on the August 3 Riyadh Season card at LA, against the ‘Bronze Bomber’ Deontay Wilder – if he’s ready by then to fight after June 1’s fight against Zhilei Zhang,” Alalshikh tweeted. Wilder vs Anderson would take place on the undercard of Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov’s world title clash.

Joshua is unbeaten in his last four fights and most recently KO’d former UFC champion Francis Ngannou in just five minutes. ‘AJ’ was promised a shot against Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk after his win, but the heavyweight champions are locked into a two-fight deal. Alalshikh has promised to match Joshua with the toughest opponent possible, something that ‘AJ’ is on board with.

“What he says is, ‘In the future I want people to look back at your record and say that you took on the best.’ I said, ‘Now you’re speaking my language. We’re on the same page and he’s on the same page as the fans as well. He’s trying to deliver what the fans want,” Joshua told talkSPORT.

“I know they want that big fight with Tyson Fury and he’s working on it, but Fury has got his obligations with Oleksandr Usyk so I have got to make sure I stay focused and disciplined, keep steamrolling through opponents so I can get closer and closer to having the opportunity of me vs Tyson Fury.”

Joshua also tipped Usyk to come out on top against Fury in their undisputed title clash having lost to the Ukrainian twice. “I’ve fought Usyk so I can only speak on what I’ve experienced with him – phenomenal fighter, I would say he’s gonna do a really good job. Only speaking on what I know, I have to say Usyk will be victorious,” he added.

Wilder’s old coach believes a psychedelic medicine played a role in his old fighter missing out on a £100 million double bout

Deontay Wilder’s chances of landing handsomely-paid fights with Anthony Joshua were scuppered by Ayahuasca, according to the American’s former coach.

Wilder was on course to fight long-time rival Joshua in a £100 million two-fight series ahead of his defeat to Joseph Parker last December. Wilder produced a disastrous fight against Parker that scuppered the Joshua fights, and a former coach thinks he knows why.

Wilder’s old coach Malik Scott believes the use of psychedelic medicine Ayahuasca has played a role in Wilder’s reduced hunger for violence in the ring.

Scott told Instant Casino: “I think Deontay has a killer instinct in him that you can’t suppress, but I think he enjoyed Ayahuasca. I think that it possibly did not match the attitude needed in the ring.

“Because like he said, it made him a bit content and made him have an understanding of the smaller and softer things in life. And if you’re in that type of space then violence is not a top priority.

“But when you’re in a boxing ring violence has got to be [the] top priority. Violence wasn’t a top priority that night and I think that’s why we came up short. Deontay is a killer, he’s violent, he wants to put holes through you when he punches you, that Deontay didn’t show up that night, he couldn’t pull the trigger.”

The comeback
Wilder is now reportedly preparing to take on Zhilei Zhang, and Scott believes his old fighter will be a man reborn as he looks to get his career back on track.

“That’s not the fighter you’re going to see in his next fight,” he added. “He’s taken the initiative to start training way earlier. He knows our back is up against the wall and we know what we need to do.

“Everything is at stake, not his legacy, he’s already a legend, but concerning becoming two-time heavyweight champion, that part of his legacy is on the line now. I do not have less belief in him, it was just a bad night at the office, I’ve seen the best of them have those nights.

“Zhang is dangerous, but I’m very comfortable and happy with the fight because big Zhang is someone who makes you stay alert and makes you stay elusive.

“He’s a big man and he can punch but we know what we have to do to operate on him and do surgery on him and that’s what we are going to do.

“It’s going to be a surgical performance. What I really like about the fight is how dangerous Zhang is, a very dangerous opponent and that’s going to make Deontay even better.”

Wilder ruined his chances of fighting Joshua by losing to Joseph Parker last month but he thinks the mega-fight can be rescued with one win against a big name

Deontay Wilder wants to fight on the Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou card to try and rescue his mega-fight with the Brit.

Wilder’s two-fight deal with ‘AJ’ went down the drain last month after he lost to Joseph Parker just moments before Joshua knocked out Otto Wallin. Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou has since taken Wilder’s place in the heavyweight equation as he will fight Joshua on March 8 in Saudi Arabia.

Zhilei Zhang has been touted as a potential opponent for Wilder but the fight is far from official. Wilder’s manager Shelly Finkel thinks the American can redeem himself after his poor performance with one win against a big name. “ If there was an opportunity, we’d be glad to consider it. We’d love to go back there and love to be on that card if it’s possible,” he told The Sun.

“You can’t tell in advance, but I’d assume that Joshua would beat Ngannou. Then hopefully, we’ll see the Deontay of old and he wins. Of course, if those two were to happen, it would still be natural for Deontay and Joshua to meet.” Finkel used Daniel Dubois as an example of a fighter bouncing back to winning ways as he stopped Jarrell Miller following his world title loss to Oleksandr Usyk.

“Go back two fights. People were saying Daniel Dubois was a quitter. He sure didn’t quit against Jarrell Miller and redeemed himself. Three fights ago, people said things about Joshua. He looked very good in his fight with Wallin and that redeemed himself in the same way. In a similar situation, Deontay has a good opponent in the next fight and he looks the way we know him to look,” Finkel added.

“We would love Parker but that hasn’t been discussed. In either case, if Zhang was presented, that would be a big fight. If that was on the same card as the fight with Joshua and Ngannou, I think Deontay and Zhang would rival that. It would be a phenomenal show for the public again. I think the job that they did putting on all the heavyweights together on that card was wonderful.”

Wilder isn’t in Joshua’s plans for now as the Brit wants to beat Ngannou and challenge either Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight world titles. Ngannou is also targeting a rematch against Fury after controversially losing to the Brit in their crossover fight last October.