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Joshua: Wilder fight could happen in April despite Fury rematch

THE WBC could green light a multi-million-pound heavyweight title unification fight between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, despite ordering ‘The Bronze Bomber’ to rematch Tyson Fury.

Wilder retained the WBC’s heavyweight crown earlier this month in a controversial draw at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, though the general consensus amongst observers and experts was that Fury did more than enough to win the fight.

Last week, the WBC sanctioned a ‘direct’ rematch between the pair, who served up one of the best heavyweight fights in recent years.

That seemingly put to bed talk of a unification fight between Joshua and Wilder, which prior to the American’s bout with Fury, was at the top of many boxing fans’ wish lists.

However, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has claimed they could perform a U-turn and book the mega-money showdown if Wilder files a request to face ‘AJ’.

“That’s a fight that everybody has wanted to see for a long time,” Sulaiman told The Independent.

“But unfortunately it did not materialise in September of this year.

“I do not want to anticipate anything but if there’s something for the WBC board to vote on we will do so.

“When there’s a unification bid as a request, of course, we will consider it but the WBC has voted for Deontay Wilder against Tyson Fury next.

“We will take everything into action on the first week of January.

“The WBC voted for the rematch. If Wilder has a request, every request has to be considered and reviewed but, for now, the WBC voted for the rematch and we have not yet received any other scenario.”

Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn is keen to have Wilder face ‘AJ’ on April 13, the date for the Olympic gold medallist’s next Wembley outing.

Read Also: Joshua is scared of Wilder – Amir Khan

And he believes the Alabama native, who wants the heavyweight division to have ‘one champion, one face, one name’, should be doing everything in his power to make the fight happen.

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