Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder To Fight in Saudi Arabia on December 23
Former world heavyweight champion boxers Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder will both fight on the same night in Saudi Arabia.
The former boxing champions will not fight each other, but will appear on the same card in a Riyadh Season event on December 23.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk were originally scheduled to fight in the event, but that fight has since been called off.
Instead, Anthony Joshua will fight Sweden’s Otto Wallin, while Deontay Wilder will square up against Joseph Parker.
Despite missing out on the much-anticipated Fury v Usyk bout, Riyadh Season’s “Day of Reckoning” is a major coup for boxing, and sport in general, in Saudi Arabia.
Anthony Joshua versus Deontay Wilder is one of the most talked-about match-ups in modern boxing, and although the two won’t be fighting each other their very presence in the same ring on the same evening will undoubtedly raise the possibility of a future face-off between the two.
Anthony Joshua said: “I’m looking forward to delivering my message to Otto Wallin on December 23.
“I can’t predict the future, but I know what I want to do. I believe I’m going to be a three-time heavyweight champion and the first step is to put a demolition job on Otto Wallin.
“It’s going to be big – we haven’t seen a card like this before. This is not a one-stop shop.
“This is a vision, this is my first stop and I will deliver the message. I’m determined to win and get back to my peak.”
❤️🔥🇸🇦🥊 pic.twitter.com/dRQ79i76Lc
— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) November 15, 2023
Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, said: “The Day of Reckoning Fights constitute the highly anticipated event offered by Riyadh Season for boxing fans this year. It brings together a number of world boxing champions in groundbreaking bouts.
“We are proud to be the world’s destination for enjoying these exceptional events that constitute a unique and distinctive experience for the residents of the Kingdom, visitors to the capital, Riyadh, and followers of these events from all over the world”.
Boxing promoter and one of the event organisers Frank Warren said: “This is quite simply an incredible night of boxing we have put together on behalf of Riyadh Season and the GEA.
“Never before, I believe, has one card featured such an array and depth of talent and fans lucky enough to travel to Saudi Arabia will also be able to witness all the champions performing and sample the spectacular events that Riyadh Season has to offer.”
