I don’t need to take on Wilder .. but any fight will take place on AJ’s turf
ANTHONY JOSHUA has challenged Deontay Wilder to face him at Wembley – because he needs the fight more than the Brit.
AJ called out the WBC champ after beating Joseph Parker unanimously on points 118-110, 118-110, 119-109 in front of 78,000 people at Cardiff ’s Principality Stadium to unify the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles.
The unbeaten unified champ has told Wilder to fight him in the UK because he is the bigger box-office draw and his last three fights have been watched by a quarter of a million fans.
Joshua said: “UK fighters have had to go to America. The fans have had to spend a lot of their money going to Vegas. We can do it here in London at Wembley. We can do it right here.
“Does he need me more than I need him? Yes. Without being big-headed, that’s 100 per cent true. He needs British boxing. He’s bigger here than he is in the States because of us.
“I’m in a great position because I can still fight top-10 heavyweights, it’s not an issue. Either he will step up or not but my career will still go on.
“But he’s in a position after 10 years as a pro and he hasn’t done what I’ve done. You have to look at him and ask him does he really want it?”
Wilder snubbed an offer to be ringside in Cardiff and the two sides are further apart than ever to agreeing a fight for the undisputed crown.
Promoter Eddie Hearn branded the American’s camp as “f ***** g jokers” and claims the fight must happen this year or not at all.
He said: “It has to happen in 2018 or we will have problems with the mandatories for the belts coming up.
“But it’s so painful because they are f ***** g jokers. They’ve not even approached us. No one has ever approached us for this fight.”
But had American Wilder been in Cardiff he would have seen a solid but unspectacular display from Joshua.
It took until the halfway stage for either fighter to commit to a power punch. Parker stung early in the sixth round but the belt looked secure in the eighth round after AJ landed a hard left uppercut and two stinging left hooks early in the 10th.
His spirited rival caused some concern in the next round as he became the first man to take Joshua the distance.