ANTHONY JOSHUA has vowed to return to boxing with a bang – as a talk of a fight with Deontay Wilder grows louder.
AJ has been sidelined since his September knockout loss to Daniel Dubois and this year underwent elbow surgery.
Anthony Joshua is still linked with fighting Deontay Wilder[/caption]
But promoter Eddie Hearn revealed the two-time heavyweight champion is on track to fight before the year ends with Wilder a top target.
He initially held talks with the American’s manager Shelly Finkel over a bout with Dave Allen – but now AJ is ready to take on Wilder himself.
Hearn told SunSport at the launch of Matchroom’s rebrand: “I think it’s a great fight.
“I mean there’s jeopardy in it, it’s dangerous. Originally I was speaking to Shelly about Dave Allen.
“I kind of get the feeling that Wilder wants to get a few fights under the belt, get a bit of confidence back.
“I think it’s great to see him returning, it’s really important that Deontay is still in the heavyweight division.
“AJ I will be here tonight. We’ve just started pinging a few opponents backwards and forwards, nothing really to talk about, but you will see AJ in the ring, November or December.”
Joshua, 35, and Wilder, 39, were once close to agreeing a huge undisputed title decider before rival broadcasters and promoters got in the way.
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Saudi boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh then tried to revive the bout last year – until disaster struck.
Wilder was beaten by Joseph Parker on points and knocked out by Zhilei Zhang – once again KOing the clash.
The former WBC champ took time off before returning in a confidence-building bout against Tyrrell Herndon – winning in seven rounds.
Wilder could even box in one more tune-up before jumping back into the big time – while AJ is also ready to return after giving his body a rest.
He said: “I took a year out, first time in about 12 to 13 years as a professional, not even including the amateur stuff.
“But I took a year out, get my body right. I’m at a different stage in my career where I can look at time a bit differently.
“I’m all these years in front of me like the main man here, so I gotta make like really executive decisions about what I do next.
“So the minute I come back, you know I’ll come back with a bang rather than just keep rolling through and just going with the motions of the sport.
“I just thought, let me take some time out so when I do come back I come back fully active and ready to go and take the division by storm again.”
AJ took a year out to rest his body[/caption]
