Deontay Wilder, the American heavyweight boxer, expressed a desire to speak with Anthony Joshua in person to finalize terms for their much-anticipated bout. Wilder claimed that Joshua, the Nigerian-born British boxer and 2012 Olympic gold medalist, is hesitant to face him in the ring.

Despite ongoing rumors of a showdown in Saudi Arabia at the end of the year, the event's funding, according to Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn, has faced disruptions due to managerial changes in Saudi Arabia's sports executives.

Wilder, noting Joshua's perceived reluctance, stated, "I just don’t know what’s up with Joshua bro... I really wanna talk to that dude." He suggested a face-to-face meeting in England to address any concerns and emphasized that their potential fight is the biggest in the world.

Wilder, 38, expressed his readiness to face Joshua, even though he hasn't competed since his knockout victory over Robert Helenius in October 2022. Meanwhile, Joshua has been active, bouncing back with wins after suffering back-to-back defeats at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk.