Joshua tells heavyweight rival Wilder to ‘stop the fantasy’

LONDON: Anthony Joshua has urged Deontay Wilder to be “realistic” about who is the bigger draw card should the heavyweight champions meet in a blockbuster unification fight.

Should such a bout between British boxer Joshua, the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association title-holder and American rival Wilder, the World Boxing Council champion, take place it could be one of the richest in history.

But no serious talks have yet to take place between the two camps, with Joshua first having to overcome the World Boxing Organisation champion, Joseph Parker, whom he takes on in Cardiff a week on Saturday.

However, 2012 Olympic champion Joshua said the brash Wilder needs to accept the Briton has greater spectator appeal in the United Kingdom than the American does in the States, and so should be the one to cross the Atlantic for any unification bout.

“If he was serious about the fight, we’d do serious negotiation,” Joshua said on Wednesday. “If not, (he should) stop hooting and hollering because we’ll just freeze him out.“We’re in a position where I’ve still got great top-10 challengers I can compete with. He’s in a position where the broadcasters ain’t interested in (him fighting) Joe Bloggs anymore.”

Joshua added: “I know where I am going with my career. If he wants to be a part of this and jump on the train and come to the UK, he has to be realistic and stop living the fantasy. That is all we are saying, be realistic in negotiations.”