Deontay Wilder is ready to fight Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia this year, as confirmed by his manager Shelley Finkel. Wilder is searching for his next opponent after winning against Robert Helenius in October 2021.

Both fighters were in negotiations for a fight in 2019 with Wilder’s team reportedly offering £40m ($50m) to stage the bout in Las Vegas. However, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn terminated the talks after failing to see evidence of the prize pot.

ALSO READ: Joe Biden’s delay in congratulating Tinubu raises doubts 55 days after Nigeria’s general election

During the negotiations, both fighters were world champions. Joshua had the IBF, WBO and WBA belts, while Wilder held the WBC world title. Now, they are both looking to recover their careers after losing in high-profile bouts.

Last week, Joshua and Wilder were connected to a highly lucrative and high-profile event in Saudi Arabia, which could see them facing each other on the same night as Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk.

ALSO READ: “If Jermaine Franklin defeats me on Saturday, I’ll retire from boxing” – Anthony Joshua

Finkel has now confirmed the possibility of a fight in Saudi Arabia between Joshua and Wilder. He stated that “Deontay has wanted to fight Joshua for a long time and of course, is willing to fight him in Saudi Arabia.”

Joshua secured a unanimous win over Jermaine Franklin, his first victory in nearly three years following back-to-back defeats to Usyk.