Wilder refuses to rule out Joshua bout

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Peter Akinbo.

Deontay Wilder has said that there is still the chance of a fight with his heavyweight rival Anthony Joshua, even though the pair are now beltless.

After Joshua claimed the WBA, IBF and WBO belts his team spent six months haggling with the former WBC king but could never get an undisputed deal done.

The 32-year-old was eventually beaten by Andy Ruiz Jr before Wilder lost two magnificent clashes with Tyson Fury.

The rivalry between the two power punchers remains the same as both teams blame the other for sabotaging the mega-money deal that should have happened in 2018.

Wilder claims the British-Nigerian turned down around £40m ($50m) at the time to fight him.

“Me and Joshua should have fought years ago, I could have been the undisputed champion,” the 36-yeat-old told The Good Fight.

“The chance isn’t gone, we are both still in the business of fighting so that opportunity will always be there.

“People still always stop me and ask when I’m fighting Joshua. Some people still think that’s the biggest fight in the world, between us two.

“It is the No1 match-up that people still always ask me about.

“It’s not a matter of ‘if’ the fight happens. It’s a matter of when, we just need the tight timing.”

Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn always insisted Team Wilder’s offer for a showdown in the United States was not legit.

However, the Bronze Bomber has revealed he will entertain the Joshua battle again but they will not get caught up in Hearn’s tricks.

“We will not fall in line with Eddie Hearn’s games,” Wilder said. “They drained us.

“We dealt with Eddie Hearn for around six months and they just gave us the round around.

“They have their story, which they tell everyone, but I know the facts and he is a big manipulator.”