Deontay Wilder has claimed Anthony Joshua did not want to fight him during their "six-month rollercoaster" talks in 2018.
Wilder was defeated by Tyson Fury in their trilogy bout last year and contemplated his future in the ring, but has announced his return against Robert Helenius on October 11 at the Barclays Center, New York. One of the key factors in deciding to make a comeback was a potential fight against Joshua, according to his manager Shelly Finkel, with plans to make the fight after his rival's recent rematch defeat by Oleksandr Usyk.
The pair previously held talks over a fight with the undisputed titles on the line back in 2018, but a bout failed to come to fruition as Wilder elected to begin his epic rivalry with Fury at the end of that year. However, the 'Bronze Bomber' believes his rivalry with Joshua could be rekindled.
