Showtime boxing boss Stephen Espinoza is planning on a possible heavyweight unification fight in the fall of 2017 between unbeaten IBF champion Anthony Joshua (17-0, 17 KOs) and WBC champion Deontay “Bronze Bomber” Wilder (37-0, 36 KOs), according to RingTV.
Espinoza would have the fight take place in early 2017, but Wilder suffered a broken right hand and torn right biceps injury in his last title defense against Chris Arreola this month on July 16. The injuries will likely keep Wilder derailed until early 2017. It wouldn’t be a good time for the Wilder vs. Joshua fight with Wilder coming off of those injuries.
Joshua has a mandatory defense that he needs to get out of the way against Joseph Parker in either November or early 2017. Espinoza wants to have Joshua fight once in the U.S before he faces Wilder in the fall of 2017. Joshua would possibly fight in Las Vegas, Nevada in mid-2017 so that the American fans can see him live before he faces Wilder. Both Wilder and Joshua are Showtime fighters, so it’s a plus for Showtime to build the fight between them.
“I think we’re looking at maybe fall, winter of 2017,” Espinoza said to RingTV.com. “That’s when I think realistically because with Deontay out until late spring and Joshua having the mandatory, I think to get them on track for a third or fourth quarter fight next year is certainly a possibility.”
Espinoza needs to make sure that Wilder’s promoter Lou Dibella and adviser Al Haymon are both on board with this before this move is made. 2017 might not be the ideal time for a Wilder vs. Joshua unification fight due to Wilder suffering two injuries in the Areola fight. If Wilder suffers additional injuries in his next title defense in early 2017, then there’s no way that a fight between him and Joshua can realistically happen in late 2017.
Joshua’s next fight will be a voluntary defense against possibly Kubrat Pulev, Bermane Stiverne or Parker. The fight will be televised in the United States on Showtime.
Joshua has looked good in his last two fights in stopping Americans Charles Martin and Dominic Breazeale. Those were one-sided affairs with Joshua easily beating these guys, who both looked like they were unable to let their hands go.
This is a tough fight for the 6’7″ Wilder to face Joshua, because it would be a fight where his increasingly fragile body would need to hold together. Wilder broke his right hand last year too. If he breaks his hand or tears another bicep during a fight against Joshua, he’ll likely lose because he won’t be able to beat him with just a jab like he did against the shorter 6’3″ Arreola. Wilder will need to stay healthy for the entire fight against Joshua to have a chance of beating him.
Wilder has successfully defended his WBC title four times since winning it last year against Stiverne. The WBC has let Wilder take four voluntary defenses in a row. He was supposed to defend his title against mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin, but the Russian fighter tested positive for a banned substance recently. The WBC is expected to make a decision soon about whether they’ll let Povetkin face Wilder or not.
