Deontay Wilder claims Anthony Joshua fight is 'on' after recent conversation with Eddie Hearn

Deontay Wilder exudes optimism as he anticipates a long-awaited showdown with Anthony Joshua to come to fruition following a productive meeting with Eddie Hearn.

The two former heavyweight world champions are scheduled to share the squared circle on a star-studded fight card in Saudi Arabia on December 23. Joshua, a two-time former unified heavyweight champion, is slated to go up against Otto Wallin, while Wilder, the former WBC champion, is set to square off against Joseph Parker on the same night.

When 'The Bronze Bomber' and Joshua held all the significant heavyweight titles, attempts to arrange a unification match between them fell apart. However, recent speculations indicate the possibility of the much-anticipated showdown in 2024, contingent upon both securing victories in their upcoming individual bouts.

Deontay Wilder recently shared a flight with Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn. The 38-year-old American issued a statement on social media, indicating a willingness to mend fences, and confirmed their discussion about the potential fight.

Check out the post below:

As per a recent report from combat sports journalist Michael Benson, Deontay Wilder, in a conversation with 78SPORTSTV, shared insights into his conversation with Hearn:

"It was cool. We have our differences. I know him and Anthony Joshua's manager have held this fight up… But Eddie was saying he talked to His Excellency - Hearn told me if we both win, the fight's gonna be on. So I'm looking forward to finally getting Joshua in the ring. Win, lose or draw, this is what it's all about."

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Eddie Hearn's response after running into Deontay Wilder

Eddie Hearn and Deontay Wilder concluded their over five-year-long feud this week, putting an end to years of exchanged insults.

In a recent interview with DAZN, the British boxing promoter discussed his unplanned encounter with Wilder during a flight to Los Angeles:

"I looked around and it was Deontay and Malik Scott. They were heading on the same flight as me. I had a good chat with Deontay. I think he's chilled a little bit in the last year. He seems very focused ahead of a massive night of boxing on December 23. We talked about the AJ fight, we made it clear from our side that we want that fight. There's a lot of discussions ongoing obviously, but we also said let's not slip up in tough tests on December 23."

Check out Hearn's comments below: