Former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman has revealed who he would favour in a clash between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder.
While the pair have seemingly gone their separate ways, their matchup was once considered one of the biggest fights that could be made in boxing.
This was back when Wilder held the WBC title, knocking out the likes of Luis Ortiz and Bermane Stiverne, while Joshua reigned as the unified heavyweight champion.
Their undisputed showdown never materialised, however, as Wilder instead fought Tyson Fury and battled to a dramatic two-knockdown draw in 2018.
‘AJ’, meanwhile, ended up suffering a shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019, losing his titles via a stunning seventh-round stoppage at Madison Square Garden, New York.
Joshua and Wilder were then supposed to lock horns after their respective contests against Otto Wallin and Joseph Parker in 2023, only for ‘The Bronze Bomber’ to endure a punishing unanimous decision loss.
Since then, Wilder, in particular, has seemed a shadow of his former self, even while edging a split decision against Derek Chisora in April.
It is for this reason that Rahman, who is best known for defeating Lennox Lewis, has told Sean Zittel that he would favour Joshua at this stage in their careers.
“I thought if they fought three times, it would be a different winner every time – it might be a knockout; it might be a decision.
“I still think that way. But I would probably favour Anthony at this point.”
While Wilder is negotiating an encounter with Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua has already agreed to face Fury later this year, but must first come through his assignment against Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 25.
