‘Let’s do it’: Deontay Wilder targets Anthony Joshua fight after beating Chisora | Boxing
Deontay Wilder summoned Anthony Joshua for a long-awaited clash between the former heavyweight champions, after Wilder defeated Derek Chisora to secure a split decision victory in London on Saturday.
Wilder came face to face with Joshua as he walked past the Brit after the fight. The two bumped fists and the American said, “Let’s do it. It wasn’t a few words, I dunked on him and said, now let’s go. I’m ready for anyone, [as] As long as these guys are in the heavyweight division, I’m here. You can call me Mr. Clean, because I want to clean up the whole division. The division is nothing without Deontay Wilder.
Wilder was the WBC champion when Joshua held the WBA, IBF and WBO belts, but a unified heavyweight championship fight between them never materialized, as Wilder lost to Tyson Fury and Joshua lost his belts to Oleksandr Usyk. Undefeated, Usyk became the unified champion when he defeated Fury in May 2024.
Joshua was last in action in December, when he knocked out Jake Paul. A few days later, he was hospitalized after a car accident in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two of his close friends. Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn, who was with him during the Wilder swap, said the fight would not pose a problem for the Briton.
“He said, let’s do it. AJ kind of looked at him icy, but he would fight him no problem,” Hearn told Fight Hub TV.
A tired Chisora admitted it was time to step away after the loss to Wilder. In the 50th and final contest of the British heavyweight’s wild career, Chisora (36-14, 23 KOs) saved one of his best performances for his final dance after coming off the canvas in the eighth round to take former WBC champion Wilder (45-4-1, 43 KOs) the distance.
Although Chisora was disappointed with the judges’ scores after they favored Wilder by a split decision of 115-111, 112-115 and 115-113, the 42-year-old enjoyed every moment in London and, despite some half-hearted jokes with his wife Emily about fighting one more time, he admitted it was time to hang up his gloves.
“Listen, it was a big fight, I have to go home and talk to the boss and that’s what it is,” Chisora reflected alongside his son Zion. “You know what, I’ll be honest with you, I’m tired now. I can’t take it anymore. You know, when you know it’s time, it’s time. I’ve had a great career. It’s been amazing.”
Chisora turned professional in 2007 and after a career that saw him spit water at Wladimir Klitschko in the first of two failed world title belts, argue with rival-turned-promoter David Haye after a fight in Germany and knock over a table, the Finchley boxer has hinted he will stay in the sport.
“I say it’s not over, I didn’t say I’m going to fight again but I might do something else in boxing,” Chisora said. “What? I don’t know. God’s honest truth, I don’t know.”
