I’ll fight Wilder or Fury, says Joshua

Anthony Joshua says he is willing to fight Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury as boxing’s heavyweights scramble for the spotlight in an increasingly heated division.

While everything points to Wilder and Fury going at it again after their pulsating draw in Los Angeles for the WBC belt last weekend, Wilder’s manager Shelly Finkel has added intrigue by saying Wilder is ‘‘very interested’’ in unifying the belts with IBF, WBA and WBO champion Joshua.

Attempts to get that fight happening earlier this year fell through, even with a US$50m bait, and Wilder took the unlikely option of fighting Fury which turned into a thriller despite the big Briton’s long absence from elite fighting.

‘‘We’re very interested in the fight,’’ Finkel told Sky Sports in the UK of finally taking on British superstar Joshua. ‘‘If he wants to be professional and keep it in a private discussion, I’m open to it. If everything is in the paper, I have no desire to discuss anything, and let him go fight who he wants.’’

Joshua has jumped on the renewed hope of a unification fight, tweeting: ‘‘What took this fool so long? Like we ain’t been interested?!! Anyway well done Fury!

‘‘They wanted to get you because they assumed you was finished!! I’ll give you a fair one when you’re ready! Either one of you!’’

Fury, the former champion who was forced to give up his belts as battled drug, alcohol and mental health issues that kept him out of the ring for two years, says it’s important that one champion gets found one way or another.

‘‘I hope the best do fight the best because it is great for the fans and great for boxing,’’ he said.

The Times reported yesterday that Fury’s promoter Frank Warren and the British Boxing Board of Control would implore the WBC to force a rematch with Wilder.

The WBC has mandatory challenger Dominic Breazeale waiting his turn and are willing to fast-track a unification fight with Joshua. Now WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman hinted a Wilder v Fury rematch could trump them all because of public demand in the wake of the weekend’s thriller.