Deontay Wilder maintains Anthony Joshua fight is ‘biggest in the world’

The American heavyweight takes on Robert Helenius in New York this weekend

Deontay Wilder has lost his last two fights to Tyson Fury (Getty Images)

Deontay Wilder still believes that a potential encounter between the American heavyweight and Anthony Joshua would be “the biggest fight in the world”.

A fight between Wilder and Joshua, two of the world’s leading heavyweights, is yet to materialise.

The pair came close to a unification bout four years ago, but negotiations between the two then-undefeated fighters failed to result in agreement over terms for a fight.

Wilder instead took on Tyson Fury in December 2018, with the fight ending in a draw, and has since been knocked out twice by the Manchester-born fighter, while Joshua has been beaten by both Andy Ruiz Jr and Oleksandr Usyk.

The Ukrainian’s second win over Joshua would appear to set up Fury vs Usyk as heavyweight boxing’s marquee meeting, but Wilder still believes that fans would be more excited for a long-awaited battle between him and Joshua.

“Actually, me and Anthony Joshua is still the biggest fight in the world,” Wilder told the Breakfast Club.

“It is. Even bigger than Fury and Usyk. Everywhere I go, they still ask about it, they wanna see that fight.”

The 36-year-old returns to the ring for the first time since his trilogy-concluding defeat to Fury this weekend.

Wilder takes on Robert Helenius at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

A statue of the boxer was erected in his home town of Tuscaloosa, Alabama in May, and Wilder revealed that the support of fans at the unveiling was partly behind his drive to return to action.

“I thought so many times about whether I should stay out of the business or come back,” revealed Wilder.

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“Once I got my statue in my hometown and saw so many people arrive and celebrate with me [it] made me feel like my job is not done.”