While Anthony Joshua still has business to take care of in the form of Robert Helenius, with the bout taking place at the O2 Arena in London on August 12, there remains one question on everyone’s lips: what's next for Joshua?
It’s never smart to look ahead in boxing – particularly when it comes to the heavyweight division – but that doesn’t stop us from doing it. Pulling out the fistic crystal ball is just too tempting, especially when a matchup between the two biggest punchers in the glamour division could be just around the corner.
Should Joshua defeat Helenius – a late replacement for Dillian Whyte, after a failed drugs test – then he’s expected to take on fellow former WBC champion Deontay Wilder. It’s a matchup that’s been years in the making and with both men now functioning as veterans, it has to happen soon.
WATCH: Anthony Joshua vs. Robert Helenius, live on DAZN
The Sporting News looks at some of the information that’s available for a potential Joshua vs Wilder showdown.
Where would Joshua vs. Wilder take place?
Last month, Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn stated that his company "virtually have a deal agreed" for this battle of former world champions and that it would take place in the Middle East.
"With our meetings with Saudi, we're in a really great place," Hearn told Boxing News. "We virtually have a deal agreed in principle subject to a few final discussions.
"I think we're in a good place but we want to fight on August 12th, and it's important to [Joshua’s] development and his momentum that he does and that's still the plan."
𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐃: @anthonyjoshua will now fight The Nordic Nightmare Robert Helenius this Saturday at The O2!
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) August 8, 2023
The full undercard takes place as originally planned...
Don't miss all the action live on @DAZNBoxing 👊#JoshuaHelenius pic.twitter.com/MgvQkc3bl9
When would Joshua vs. Wilder take place?
Hearn told Boxing News that Joshua vs Wilder would likely take place in January 2024. Assuming no tune-up fight is taken in between, this would give Joshua five months to prepare for the extremely dangerous American.
Would Joshua vs. Wilder be a world title fight?
At the moment, Joshua vs. Wilder would be a non-title affair, but that is largely irrelevant when one considers what else is on offer in this matchup.
Long touted as potentially the most exciting heavyweight clash in decades, this fight features two huge hitters who are also known for being vulnerable. It’s a question of who hits who first.
Joshua and Wilder are two of the best heavyweights in the world and their respective purses would be astronomical. But, more importantly, the fans win if this one becomes a reality.
MORE: The Sporting News' top 12 heavyweights
Who would win Joshua vs. Wilder?
At the moment, SkyBet has Wilder listed as a 5/6 (-120) favorite, while Joshua is a 1/1 (+100) underdog. The draw is 16/1 (+1600).
There are a couple of reasons why Wilder would be given a slight edge in this fight. Firstly, “The Bronze Bomber” is the bigger one-punch hitter of the two. Joshua can crack, but he mostly wears his opponents down over a period of rounds.
Also, Joshua has lost three of his last six fights (defeats to Andy Ruiz and Oleksandr Usyk twice). The Englishman has only been dropped by Wladimir Klitschko, in a fight that Joshua won, and Ruiz, who handed him his first defeat, but he’s looked less willing to engage in recent years.
However, Joshua has the superior skillset of the two and he’s been more active than the American.
Wilder has only seen one round of action in two years and that was his comeback win over Helenius. Prior to that, Wilder had been stopped twice by Tyson Fury. There has also been talk that Wilder could face Ruiz before mixing it with Joshua.