Joshua Challenges Wilder to Meeting

Anthony Joshua wants a “man-to-man” meeting with Deontay Wilder to set up an undisputed world heavyweight title fight – if he beats Andy Ruiz Jr.

WBA, IBF and WBO champion Joshua, 29, takes on Ruiz in New York on Saturday.

On Tuesday night, WBC champion Wilder announced a rematch with Cuba’s Luis Ortiz, delaying any contest with Joshua for now.

“I am going to reach out to Wilder to see if I can have a sit-down in person,” Joshua told BBC Sport.

The Briton added, “What people say on camera is different to what people say eye to eye. So I have to sit down with him man-to-man and see where he’s at.”

Wilder has won 41 of his 42 fights, the other being a controversial draw with Britain’s Tyson Fury in December.

He beat Ortiz via a 10th-round knockout in their first fight in March 2018 and announced their rematch on Twitter.

Former champion Fury has said his rematch with Wilder is “likely to happen in March or April”.

Fury, Wilder and Joshua are signed to different US broadcasters which complicates potential meetings between the trio.

Joshua briefly worked out for the public in south Manhattan on Tuesday, firing at pads with trainer Rob McCracken.

Ruiz, who has faced scrutiny over his physique, looked sharp and fast, impressing BBC Radio 5 Live commentator Mike Costello, who will call the action in the early hours of Sunday morning at Madison Square Garden.

Ruiz, 29, is American-born but of Mexican heritage and appears to have benefited from back-to-back training camps, having fought as recently as 20 April.

Nevertheless, were he to win, the upset would rank among the greatest in the history of the heavyweight division.