We were this close.
I mean this close.
The stage was set. I mean literally set. Deontay Wilder was going to win. Then Anthony Joshua. And then Wilder, as Joshua completed a post-fight interview, was going to climb back into the ring in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and announce a heavyweight fight that has been more than five years in the making.
Alas, it’s boxing. We can’t have nice things. Wilder lost, dropping every round—on my scorecard anyway—in a decision defeat to Joseph Parker. Joshua did his part, stopping Otto Wallin in a throwback performance.
What happened? Wilder isn’t sure. Timing was off, he said. Couldn’t let his hands go. His game plan was, frankly, awful. The inactivity—Wilder had fought just one round in the last two years—didn’t help. Faced with a skilled (Parker is an ex-heavyweight titleholder), sharp (Parker was in his fourth fight of 2023) and prepared opponent, Wilder wilted. He landed 39 punches, per CompuBox, less than half of Parker’s total.
“He did a great job avoiding a lot of my punches,” Wilder told me. “He did a good job of ducking and avoiding it. I did feel like I had the upper hand but, you know, things happen. You move on to the next thing.”
In boxing, no fight is ever dead. But this one kind of feels dead, doesn’t it? These two heavy-handed heavyweights have been circling each other for so long. In 2019, Joshua’s camp offered Wilder $100 million for a two-fight deal. A couple of years later, Wilder’s camp emailed Joshua a $50 million offer. The latest deal, backed by the Saudis, would have seen Wilder and Joshua fight twice in 2024.
“It was signed and ready to go,” said Hearn. “But that’s boxing.”
Immediately after the fight, Wilder opened the door to retirement. “We’ll see what happens,” Wilder said. Hours later, in an Instagram video, he slammed it shut. “This is not the end,” Wilder said. “We’ll be back.” But maybe his first instinct was right. Wilder is 38. His three fights with Tyson Fury were wars. He was knocked out in the last two. He looked tentative against Parker. Unwilling to engage. When he did let his right hand go, he telegraphed it so badly that Parker was easily able to duck his head to avoid it.
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For years, a competitive fire burned inside Wilder. He didn’t start boxing until he was 20. Not to become a world champion or follow in the great American heavyweight footsteps. But to provide for his daughter, Naieya, who had been diagnosed with spina bifida, a congenital disorder of the spinal cord. He clawed his way to the Olympics, earned a promotional contract, won a world title, made piles of money and engaged in arguably the greatest heavyweight trilogy of all time.
After the fight, I asked Wilder if he had that same fire inside him.
“I don’t know,” Wilder said. “A lot has calmed me down. I’ve done a great job managing my money and investing. I’m a happy fighter. I’m a warrior, so I’ll be back soon. And if not, then it’s been enjoyment. It’s been a pleasure and I appreciate everybody for the love and support they’ve been giving me over the years.
“Win, lose or draw I’m still gonna wear my smile because I’m blessed. If you come up short, you get up and keep trying. That’s what life is all about.”
But if Wilder can’t beat Parker, a good heavyweight, how can he be expected to beat a better one? In his third fight of 2023—and his first working with Ben Davison—Joshua looked sharp. His footwork was excellent. He willingly let his right hand go. Wallin, Joshua’s former sparring partner, entered the fight brimming with confidence. At the end of the fifth round, with his face battered and nose broken, Wallin wanted no more.
“Another day in the office,” Joshua said. “All that history with Otto paid off.”
Joshua will pivot. Filip Hrgović, who won a stay busy fight on the undercard, is No. 1 in the IBF rankings. Joshua is No. 2. In February, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship. It’s a two-fight deal between Fury and Usyk, but Fury has indicated that if he wins he will vacate a few of the titles to avoid mandatory obligations and Usyk may do the same. That would leave Hrgović and Joshua free to fight for a vacant belt.
“One step at a time but that would be great,” Joshua told me. “Every fight leads toward the final destination. Keep on praying, keep on working hard, stay focused. I’m on a journey and it’s hard. Let’s see how far I can take it.”
As for Wilder, Joshua isn’t giving up on that, either. He remembers where people thought he was after a knockout loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. and back-to-back defeats to Usyk. He remembers his career being left for dead. He’ll let Wilder make his own decisions but if he chooses to fight on, Joshua will be waiting for him.
“Me and him could still get it on,” Joshua said. “We can still get it cracking. I believe I'm a massive threat. I still think Wilder is a threat and I still think it does amazing numbers if we get it on.”
Perhaps. Just don’t plan on it.
