Wilder has no regrets over AJ fight ‘that never was’

Deontay Wilder had been linked to a potential fight with Anthony Joshua this summer before AJ's clash with Tyson Fury; Joshua will now box unheralded Albanian Kristian Prenga on July 25; But Shelly Finkel, Wilder's manager, said he "can't be disappointed about something that never was"

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>Deontay Wilder will not lament missing out on a potential bout with Anthony Joshua once again.

>America's Wilder, the former WBC world heavyweight champion, had been floated as a possible opponent for AJ this summer by Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn.

>Hearn, head of Matchroom Boxing, suggested they would consider Joshua boxing Wilder before fighting Tyson Fury later on in 2026.

>Joshua will box next in July, but that will come against unheralded Albanian Kristian Prenga in Riyadh rather than Wilder.

>Shelly Finkel, the American's manager, is adamant that Wilder has not been frustrated by missing out on fighting Joshua this summer.

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>"Can't be disappointed about something that never was," Finkel told Sky Sports.

>"Eddie never reached out to us and Joshua obviously had no intention of fighting Deontay Wilder.

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>Matchroom declined to comment when contacted by Sky Sports.

>Joshua and Wilder have been close to reaching an agreement in the past.

>Back in 2019, when their bout would have been for the undisputed heavyweight world champion, it seemed briefly inevitable, only for Joshua to lose to Andy Ruiz, a defeat which AJ would go on to avenge.

>More recently they boxed on the same bill when Joshua took out Otto Wallin in 2023. Only on that occasion Wilder slipped up and unexpectedly lost to Joseph Parker.

>Wilder boxed in the UK earlier this month when he defeated Derek Chisora and will look for further opportunities.

>The American has also been linked to a potential fight with unified heavyweight champion Oleksander Usyk.

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>"It can happen and it will happen," Wilder previously told Sky Sports. "Unless he retires and if so that's fine with me. I must accomplish what I set forth in the beginning of my career.

>"Why not make goals while you're inside of the ring? I have. Unifying the division would be an overwhelming feeling for me. That's something that I never had the opportunity to have."

>He added: "I hear a lot of things. I don't keep up with too much. I hear he wants to fight me and then all of a sudden he doesn't want to fight me. You really don't know what to believe when you're in the business of boxing.

>"He's one of the best in the era. I do need him to accomplish what I need to accomplish."