Joshua eager to face Wilder in heavyweight unification bout

LONDON: Anthony Joshua wants to face fellow unbeaten world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder next, rather than Alexander Povetkin, the British boxer told the BBC on Tuesday.

Joshua unified the World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organisation heavyweight titles by outpointing New Zealand’s Joseph Parker in Cardiff on March 31.

Immediately afterwards, he called out Wilder, the American who holds the World Boxing Council’s heavyweight belt.The winner of a Joshua-Wilder fight would be the first man to hold all four major heavyweight titles simultaneously.

But Povetkin is the WBA’s mandatory challenger.“I’d rather fight Wilder so if Povetkin can wait some time in 2019, that would be ideal,” said Joshua, 28.“Some people would prefer there be one belt and one heavyweight champion. That is what we are working towards, wanting to fight Wilder,” he added.