Deontay Wilder’s trainer Malik Scott has expressed his frustration over delays in getting a deal to fight Anthony Joshua across the line.

Talks for the heavyweight rivals to finally meet in the ring have been ongoing since April. While all camps have expressed a desire to get the fight on, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn cast doubt on a proposed December date, complicated by what he described as ‘a change of environment in Saudi Arabia with the operators in boxing’.

Joshua and Wilder have agreed terms to the fight but with no contract on the table, Hearn has suggested the Briton could seek an alternative opponent for the end of the year.

The Matchroom chief also insisted they will explore different destinations should the Saudi deal not be finalised soon.

‘Politically, it sounds like there’s a lot going on,’ Hearn said. ‘It doesn’t just have to happen in Saudi Arabia.

‘There are now other talks about other countries that it could take place in. …There is a movement of management and ownership of boxing in Saudi and it’s up to them what they want to do. If they don’t do Joshua-Wilder maybe it goes somewhere else.’

Former heavyweight contender Scott, who has been Wilder’s trainer since 2021, is also open to the fight landing elsewhere but expressed his own frustrations with recent delays and Hearn’s comments.

He told ESNews: ‘It’s a real frustrating frustration, because to me, out of everybody, Deontay is the one, as far as activity, is the one that misses out. It’s a lot of promises, but it seems the promises are being broken a little bit. But we’ll see.’

Joshua beat Jermaine Franklin in his first fight working with trainer Derrick James in April. A rematch with Dillian Whyte was called off in August with the former Olympian knocking out late stand-in Robert Helenius.

‘He [Joshua] is just training away but he wants Wilder,’ Hearn told BBC 5 Live Boxing.

‘If it can’t be made, he wants to stay active. If he fights in December, that’ll be three fights in eight months which is incredible for him.

‘There’s Filip Hrgovic and there’s Andy Ruiz Jr, but it probably won’t take place in this country,” added Hearn.

‘He’s had two now on the spin at The O2 Arena, so maybe we go to Madison Square Garden, somewhere in the Middle East. It’s just about activity for him.’

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Ricky Hatton believes Tommy Fury has to completely dominate KSI and ideally knock him out when they fight if he is to have a meaningful future in professional boxing.

Fury (9-0) fights YouTuber KSI (1-0) on 14 October in Manchester on a card which is also set to feature Logan Paul boxing Dillon Danis.

The last outing for Fury was a split decision win over Jake Paul in February and he has continued down the ‘celebrity boxing’ route by taking the fight with KSI.

However, Hatton believes the brother of the heavyweight world champion Tyson still has ambitions of achieving success in the traditional boxing realm.

The former world champion, who worked as Tommy’s coach early in his career, feels the 24-year-old must put KSI away comfortably if he does indeed have ambitions of greatness in the ring.

‘These are rappers and YouTubers, they’re not professional boxers like you, so I think in this fight he needs to make a bit more of a statement,’ Hatton told The Sun.

‘Tommy must still have visions of doing something in real boxing and if that’s the case I’d like to see him knock out KSI. Or certainly win extremely convincingly which I think he will.

‘At the end of the day, Tommy still talks of having ambitions of doing well in boxing.

‘No disrespect to Jake Paul, he’s not the worst out there but he’s certainly not the best and KSI is a rapper! If he keeps talking about being successful as a boxer than I do think he has to knock KSI out.’

Jake Paul does not believe his former opponent will have any problem with the multi-talented KSI, telling Mirror Fighting: ‘I think Tommy knocks him out in like less than five rounds.’

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Tyson Fury and former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou are set to go head to head in a mouthwatering showdown later this autumn.

The bout will see Ngannou make his professional boxing debut, with the fight materialising after the Gypsy King failed to agree a undisputed world heavyweightmeeting with Oleksandr Usyk.

Ngannou was the UFC heavyweight champion when his contract came to an end in December and the parties could not agree on a new deal.

He has since signed with the Professional Fighters League to continue his MMA career, but that contract allows him to box professionally as well.

The 36-year-old has made the most of that agreement, securing a fight with the 34-0-1 heavyweight champion of the world, although Fury’s WBC title will not be on the line.

Fury has said we can expect fireworks when the two meet – but when is the fight taking place, what time will it be and how can you watch in the UK?

When is the Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou fight?

The fight will take place on Saturday October 28 in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh.

Although there’s no confirmed time for the fight to start, the ring walks are expected to begin at 10pm UK time.

‘As soon as that bell goes, it’ll be bombs away!’ Fury has said of the forthcoming bout. ‘This guy is supposed to be the hardest puncher in the world, but let’s see how he reacts when he gets hit by the Big GK.

‘I can’t wait to get back out there under the lights. I’m looking forward to showing the world that The Gypsy King is the greatest fighter of his generation in an epic battle with another master of his craft.’

Ngannou added: ‘I’ve been waiting to meet Tyson in the ring for the past three years. My dream was always to box, and to box the best.

‘After becoming the undisputed MMA Heavyweight Champion, this is my opportunity to make that dream come true and cement my position as the baddest man on the planet.

How to watch the fight in the UK

The fight is likely to air on TNT Sports Box Office – formerly known as BT Sport Box Office.

The price has yet to be confirmed but it’s likely it will cost around £19.95.

You can watch TNT Sports Box Office via the app on your mobile or tablet device, or you can watch it via Sky TV, BT TV or Virgin Media.

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Tony Bellew has claimed talks for Anthony Joshua to fight Deontay Wilder have come to a halt with a showdown with Tyson Fury now back on the cards.

Talks to stage the long-awaited heavyweight clash between Joshua and Wilder have taken place throughout the year with hope it can finally be delivered in December or January 2024.

Negotiations have continued following the Briton’s knockout victory over Robert Helenius in August with Joshua describing them as ‘positive’ in an interview with Sky Sports last week.

But former cruiserweight champion Bellew believes there might be a twist in the tale, having heard there has been a breakthrough in talks to stage a battle of Britain between Joshua and Fury in Africa.

‘I am hearing rumours that [talks between AJ & Wilder’s camps] have stopped at the minute and [Joshua’s camp] are looking more towards Fury vs AJ again instead of AJ and Wilder,’ Bellew told BitCoinCasinos.

‘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.’

Fury is currently in camp for his crossover spectacle against former UFC champion Francis Ngannou, a bout to be fought under exhibition rules in Saudi Arabia on 28 October.

Joshua meanwhile has already fought twice in 2023, beating Jermaine Franklin and Helenius having linked up with new trainer Derrick James at the start of the year.

While there has been talk of another fight against an opponent of similar calibre before the end of the year, the two-time heavyweight champion is eager to go straight into that showdown against ‘The Bronze Bomber’.

‘The timeframe doesn’t really give an opportunity for that,’ Joshua said.

‘In reality we’re trying to schedule a fight for December so unfortunately no. That’s the time scale we’re looking forward to really.

‘In reality I’m going to focus on the Wilder fight for now.’

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