Report: Wilder vs. Parker, Joshua vs. Wallin card in works
A card featuring Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua in separate bouts reportedly is in the works for Dec. 23 in Saudi Arabia.
Fight Freaks Unite, citing “knowledgeable” sources, is reporting that Wilder will face former titleholder Joseph Parker while Joshua will take on longtime contender Otto Wallin if the show is finalized.
Also, 175-pound champion Dmitry Bivol, coming off a one-sided victory over Gilberto Ramirez last November, would return against contender Richard Rivera on the card.
Organizers are targeting Wednesday for a news conference to announce the card, according to Fight Freaks. However, sources told the outlet that work remains to be done on multiple contracts.
Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs) is coming off a first-round stoppage of Robert Helenius in October of last year, which followed knockout losses in his second and third fights against Tyson Fury.
Parker (33-3, 23 KOs) has won three in a row since he was stopped in 11 rounds by Joe Joyce in September of last year.
Joshua (26-3, 23 KOs) has won his last two fights since losing back-to-back decisions to Oleksandr Usyk, which cost him his titles. He last fought on Aug. 12, when he stopped Helenius in seven rounds.
Wallin (26-1, 14 KOs) is best known for giving Fury a tough test in 2019. The U.S.-based Swede has won six fights since.