'I booked Wembley for Wilder, if not, who fills that void?' - Joshua gets OBE, sets sights on WBC
Upon receiving the OBE at Buckingham Palace for services to sport, WBO, IBF and WBA champion Anthony Joshua set his sights on another prize - Deontay Wilder's all-important WBC belt, to complete his heavyweight title set.
Joshua was presented the OBE - a Queen's honor and short for 'Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire' - by Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, on Thursday, but straight away spoke of his desire to win the only trinket to evade his current collection of belts, Wilder's WBC title, on his quest to become the undisputed world heavyweight champion.
Joshua's next date is scheduled for April 13 at London's iconic Wembley Stadium, and the Briton's desired opponent to fight on that hallowed turf would be Alabama-native Wilder, the only opponent Joshua claims could guarantee a sell-out.
The 29-year-old told reporters at Buckingham Palace that Wilder was: "the reason why I've booked Wembley is to face Wilder, so if it's not Wilder then I don't know who can kind of fill that void," The Evening Standard reported.
Also on rt.com Tyson Fury v Deontay Wilder: 5 things we learned from the heavyweight clash of the yearWilder fought to a draw against Joshua's domestic rival and former champion Tyson Fury in a heavyweight classic at the beginning of the month, and a rematch has been touted as the next logical step for the two fighters, with Fury promoter Frank Warren also eyeing the April 13 date.
Following that fight, Joshua posted to social media congratulating the pair and stressing his eagerness to "give either a fair fight when you're ready".
On Thursday, Joshua confirmed that attitude had not altered, saying: "Every fighter is my biggest challenge. They're definitely big challenges and I would love to fight them in the next 12 months. I would love to."
