Anthony Joshua 'has stopped Deontay Wilder talks' with Tyson Fury fight finally on the cards
Anthony Joshua has halted Deontay Wilder talks says Tony Bellew
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British boxer Tony Bellew has claimed Anthony Joshua has stopped talks with Deontay Wilder.
And that's because the 33-year-old is now apparently eager to agree a fight with Tyson Fury that would go down in British history.
Joshua and Wilder had been linked up for an epic showdown in Saudi Arabia, with negotiations ongoing to make that showdown happen.
Yet Bellew, who is close with AJ, has claimed Eddie Hearn and the Watford-born boxer are now looking towards Fury instead.
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua fight would go down in British boxing history
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He told Bitcoin Casinos: “I am hearing rumours that [talks between AJ & Wilder’s camps] have stopped at the minute and [AJ’s camp] are looking more towards Fury vs AJ again instead of AJ and Wilder.
"The talk is of another fight going to Africa, which would be absolutely incredible.
"Rumble in the Jungle all over again in Zaire or something along those lines.”
Joshua recently beat Robert Helnius, knocking out the 39-year-old before calling out Wilder.
As for Fury, the 35-year-old will return to the ring on October 28 when he faces ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou.
Fury had previously been hoping to sign Ukrainian star Oleksandr Usyk.
Yet with negotiations collapsing, he then opted to go up against Ngannou instead - despite facing a backlash for his decision.
Explaining why that showdown hasn't happened yet, Fury said last month: "We don't really know the reasons why Usyk didn't take the fight in April.
"I'm sure he's got his reasons and then we find out he's signed with Skills Challenge, the Saudi Arabian team of boxing people out there.
"So whatever his reasons are, I'm sure that they suit him and his family. It is what it is.
"But I do believe that you can only do what you can do in this sport.
"If the fights are available at that time then you take them and if they're not available then you can't take them."
Boxing promoter Hearn, meanwhile, recently said Joshua could fight again in December - while providing an update on talks with Wilder's camp.
"Talks are ongoing. We are still in the same position of a January fight," he said.
"If we don't conclude that fight and they about moving it to February or March, we will probably fight in December.
"Wilder is talking about fighting in October, but it's already September now.
"He will wait to fight Wilder in January. He's training now. He wants to fight in December.
"If they turned around and said, 'Let's do the Wilder fight in December' he'd do it.
"But everybody is talking like it's happening, but until it's happening it ain't on. Until it's on, we'll keep our options open for December.
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Anthony Joshua has been hoping to agree a boxing fight with Deontay Wilder but negotiations have apparently now stalled
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"Ideally, we'd like to go straight into the Wilder fight."