The heavyweight division has always been king in the sport of boxing. When the heavyweight division is going well, boxing is in a good place. However, it has been a long time since we had a super fight in the this division.
Hopefully, that could change this year. After WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder agreed to all the terms laid out by WBA/IBF/WBO/IBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua’s side, the hope was we could get Joshua-Wilder in 2018, but at this point, the fight is still up in the air.
While it seems Joshua-Wilder could be a long shot for 2018, Showtime Sports head Stephen Espinoza believes that the fight could still happen this year:
“The ball is rolling; things are moving; discussions are happening. I think it’s one of those that once you get past a certain hump, then I think it will happen very quickly,” Espinoza told TMZ Sports. “I’m still optimistic we’re going to get it this year. I think a couple of things will fall into place, and then I think it will move really quickly.”
If the fight can be made, Espinoza believes it will be the biggest fight in the heavyweight division since Lewis-Tyson in 2002:
“It’s been a long time since we saw two prime heavyweights, English language speaking, marketable, likable, exciting, in one fight,”Espinoza said. “Probably Lewis-Tyson is the last time, but that’s not a great comparison because really that was sort of the tail end of Tyson’s career.”
Eventually, Joshua-Wilder will happen, but unfortunately, the longer we wait without a deal, the more likely the fight will take place in 2019.