Deontay Wilder's manager Shelly Finkel is adamant he wants to fight Anthony Joshua in his next outing but he knows "that's highly unlikely" to happen for various reasons.
That is according to highly respected boxing journalist and 'Big Fight Weekend' podcaster Dan Rafael.
When was Deontay Wilder's last fight?
Wilder made his long-awaited return to the ring in October at Barclays Center in New York, where he locked horns with his former sparring partner Robert Helenius.
The Bronze Bomber's first outing in 12 months wasn't a long one as he decimated 'The Nordic Nightmare' in three seconds to pick up his first victory in over two years.
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Wilder and Joshua have been linked with a fight for several years, but it has never materialised.
Most boxing fans want to see Deontay Wilder fight Anthony Joshua next
What has Dan Rafael said about Deontay Wilder vs Anthony Joshua?
Both men recently expressed interest in making it happen despite it continuing to be plagued by ongoing issues behind the scenes but Rafael believes that is simply wishful thinking.
"Well, when I talked to Shelly Finkel, who I talk to on a regular basis, and we discussed a little bit about the correspondence that he had with Eddie Hearn, his perspective is that they want the Joshua fight next," he exclusively told GIVEMESPORT.com.
"Obviously, that's what they would love to have next. But, you know, Shelly has been around for you know 40 years promoting and managing boxers, he knows that's highly unlikely to be next.
"But he's on the list of fights that they would like to have in 2023."
READ MORE: Anthony Joshua next fight: 'Exciting' alternative to Deontay Wilder proposed
Will Deontay Wilder fight Anthony Joshua next?
The boxing public are desperate for the pair to finally settle the score in the ring but it appears that politics is still getting in the way to stop it from happening anytime soon.
A fight against Andy Ruiz Jr has been all but confirmed after the WBC recently announced at their annual convention a couple of weeks ago that it has officially ordered them to fight each other in a final eliminator to determine the next mandatory challenger for Tyson Fury's WBC heavyweight title.
It is hard to imagine that there will be too many obstacles that will stop the fight from going ahead given that they are both signed to PBC.
Rafael previously revealed that Wilder wants to return to the ring in either March or April.
Dan can be found over at Fight Freaks Unite on Substack. Subscribe now to get the latest updates.
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