Shelly Finkel says no approach was made as Joshua moves to July 25 bout in Riyadh
Deontay Wilder’s manager says there were no real talks for a fight with Anthony Joshua. Shelly Finkel stated no approach was made as Joshua prepares to face Kristian Prenga on July 25.
“Can’t be disappointed about something that never was,” Finkel said to Sky Sports. “Eddie never reached out to us, and Joshua obviously had no intention of fighting Deontay Wilder. Same old story, just a new date.”
The comments challenge recent suggestions from Eddie Hearn that Anthony Joshua could face Wilder before a planned showdown with Tyson Fury later in 2026.
Joshua is instead set to face Kristian Prenga on July 25 in Riyadh, ending any immediate speculation about a long-discussed clash with Wilder.
Just a few weeks ago, Eddie Hearn was out here calling Wilder a warm-up fight for Joshua’s planned clash with Tyson Fury. That is a heavy-duty marketing move. It keeps the fans engaged and makes it look like AJ is willing to take on the most dangerous puncher in the division just to stay busy.
However, Shelly Finkel’s response is interesting. He flat-out said there was “no reason” to be frustrated because no real approach was ever made. If Hearn was serious, an email or a phone call to Finkel would have been the first step. According to Wilder’s camp, that never happened.
Instead of Wilder, Joshua is now officially set to face little-known Prenga. This move serves two purposes for Joshua’s camp: It’s a much safer stay busy fight while Joshua rehabilitates after his car accident earlier this year. It also clears the path for the massive Fury fight at the end of 2026 without the risk of Wilder ruining the payday with a single right hand.
This has been the pattern for years. We saw it in 2019 when the undisputed talks collapsed and again in 2023 when they were both on the “Day of Reckoning” card, but were never actually paired up.
Wilder, who recently returned to the ring with a win over Derek Chisora, has also mentioned interest in a future fight with unified champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Finkel’s remarks suggest the Joshua fight remains in familiar territory, discussed publicly, but never formally pursued behind the scenes.