Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder to fight on same card might change because...

Former heavyweight world champions Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder will
fight separate opponents on the same night as part of a stacked card on 23
December in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Briton Joshua will face Otto Wallin, with American Wilder taking on former
champion Joseph Parker.

If Joshua and Wilder both win, they could fight each other in 2024.

On the undercard, WBA light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol defends his
title against Manchester’s Lyndon Arthur.

Londoner Ellis Zorro will challenge WBC cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia,
while British heavyweight Daniel Dubois will face American Jarrell Miller.

Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk was set to headline the event, but Fury’s
difficult encounter with Francis Ngannou last monthderailed those plans
.

With the date less than six weeks away, Turki Alalshikh of Saudi Arabia’s
General Entertainment Authority and Frank Warren’s Queensbury Promotions have
managed to finalise one of the strongest cards in boxing history.

Joshua and Wilder are on the comeback trail since losing their world titles to
Usyk and Fury respectively.

Joshua, 34, is promoted by Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn, while 38-year-old
Wilder has spent most of his career with Premier Boxing Champions and adviser
Al Haymon, as well as being managed by Shelly Finkel.

Joshua is a two-time world champion with a record of 26 wins – including 23
stoppages – and three defeats.

Sweden’s Wallin, 32, has lost just once in 27 outings – a points defeat by
Fury in 2019.

Wilder is one of the greatest knockout punchers in heavyweight history, with
42 stoppages in 43 wins. The only blemishes on his record – two defeats and a
draw – have been at the hands of Fury.

World-title challenger Dubois – who lost to Usyk in August – will face the
undefeated Miller.

The American tested positive for banned substances in 2019
and was withdrawn from a
world-title shot against Joshua.

Russian Bivol will make an 11th defence of his world title against undefeated
Zorro, while Arthur will challenge for a first world title against hard-hitting
Australian Opetaia.

Earlier this year Joshua and Wilder were in talks with Saudi Arabia-based
Skills Challenge about fighting, before discussions collapsed. Alalshikh’s
outfit has now emerged as the power broker for boxing in the country.