Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder ‘are finalising offers to combat separate bouts on the identical night time in Saudi Arabia in December’ – with showdown between former heavyweight world champions eyed for subsequent yr

Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are reportedly each set to return to motion on the identical occasion in Saudi Arabia on December twenty third.

A conflict between the 2 former world heavyweight champions has lengthy been rumoured, with Eddie Hearn claiming in Might that the combat would seemingly happen this yr.

Nonetheless, based on a report from boxing journalist Dan Rafael, after financing for the eagerly anticipated showdown couldn’t be confirmed, the pair are actually set to function in separate bouts on the identical night time.

Each Wilder and Joshua are coming off knockout wins in opposition to Robert Helenius of their most up-to-date outings.

After back-to-back losses to Tyson Fury, Wilder stopped the Finnish heavyweight within the first spherical in October of final yr.

Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are reportedly set to return on the identical card later this yr

The 2 former heavyweight champions are set to face seperate opponents in Saudi Arabia subsequent month

Helenius stepped in as a short-notice substitute to face Joshua in August, with AJ scoring a seventh-round stoppage after a tentative opening on the O2 Enviornment.

The occasion scheduled for December twenty third had initially been slated to be headlined by a conflict between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk to find out the division’s first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.

Fury had even gone so far as claiming he would sue the Ukrainian if he tried to postpone the conflict, noting {that a} contract had been signed by each events for the occasion to happen on that date.

Nonetheless, plans needed to change after the WBC champion took on former UFC king Francis Ngannou throughout 10-rounds in Riyadh final month.

Ngannou exceeded expectations within the ring, producing a poised efficiency that noticed him develop into simply the fourth fighter to attain a knockdown on the Gypsy King, felling Fury with a left hook within the third spherical.

Regardless of his valiant effort, Fury would finally emerge victorious by way of cut up choice, with stats later displaying that he had out-landed the previous MMA fighter over the course of the bout.

Although he left along with his undefeated file intact, the extent of the combat has compelled the undisputed conflict to be delayed, with Usyk not too long ago stating that he hopes the bout will happen in February.

December 23 occasion was initially set to be headlined by an undisputed conflict between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk