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“Who the F**K Is He”: Anthony Joshua Lashes Out at Deontay Wilder for Making Loss of Identity Remarks

Published 11/20/2023, 2:00 PM EST

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The 7-year-long rivalry between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder is getting heated. In recent developments, Joshua lashed out vehemently at Wilder for comments the latter made at his identity. While their fight remains on the horizon for early next year, they have relentlessly made efforts to one-up the other, and this recent flare-up is one such effort.

In November 2017, AJ’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, and Wilder’s manager, Shelly Finkel, came together to decide details of a possible unification of titles fight between their fighters. However, AJ’s mandatory WBA defense against Alexander Povetkin obstructed the fight. While the AJ-Wilder unification fight would have superseded Povetkin’s mandatory challenge, a negotiation between Finkel and AJ’s team fell through. From then began the 7-year-long oscillation between them. Today, when the fight seems to come to its terms, hostile tremors still make their presence.

Anthony Joshua comes down heavy at Wilder

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Earlier, Wilder took some serious verbal jabs at AJ. He claimed that the fighter had lost his identity. The remark, of course, rubbed Joshua the wrong way. Bringing his wrath in retaliation to Wilder, AJ noted, “Who the f*** is he? He’s a boxer not a psychologist… The boy has had 50 fights and he fought Jason Gavern in his 30-something fight, I probably fought him in my 12th. We are different.” 38-year-old Wilder fought against Gavern in 2014, marking his 29th pro fight. AJ, on the other hand, contested against Gavern a year later for his 11th pro fight.

Londoner Joshua further explained that there were significant differences between Wilder and him. He strongly asserted that he was someone with a strong identity and suggested Wilder and his team stop looking for faults in him. He continued, “..my identity is strong. If they’re looking for weaknesses and gaps, then they need to stop looking over here because I’m solid.” It remains unclear when the anticipated AJ vs. Wilder fight will dawn in the boxing realm, but come 23rd December, the fight will see its closest iteration.

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A Prelude to AJ vs. Wilder

December 23rd will see both AJ and ‘The Bronze Bomber’ descend at the same Riyadh arena. But they will not fight each other. While AJ will take his fight against Otto Walin, Wilder will face off against Joseph Parker. The Saudis have defended their choice to not put the fighters against each other yet on the same card by saying that there would be another big fight in early 2024 where AJ-Wilder would be on the main card. However, the 23rd December fight will act as a prelude to it.

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While making his predictions for the AJ-Walin fight, Wilder saw his long-standing nemesis as the favorite. In a conversation with WS News, Wilder said, “Joshua. I think Joshua knocks him out. Six to eight rounds.” His predictions come with his interests of course. AJ needs to win against Walin so that a fight against Wilder becomes a possibility. Also, Wilder cannot afford to enter the ring against someone who’s recently lost a fight.

The boxing realm keeps its desperate vision for 2024. The initial few months of the year promise an impressive roster for the Saudi season. The much anticipated Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk fight has been scheduled for the 17th of February. Indeed, a golden hour awaits for the heavyweight class.

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Who do you see winning between AJ and Wilder? Take your picks in the comments section below.

Watch This Story: Everything You Need To Know About Upcoming Saudi Arabia Fight Card Including Dmitry Bivol, Deontay Wilder And Anthony Joshua

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Written by:

Mohammed Shafiulla

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My affinity toward combat sports began when Dad would spend late nights watching reruns of famous Indian wrestlers battling it out in WWE. But with years, having lost touch with the sport, I found an opportunity to be a part of it yet again, and this time even contribute toward it through my writing. Hello! I am Mohammed Shafiulla R.
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Edited by:

Gokul Pillai