Wilder Wins, Calls Out Joshua

Deontay Wilder won a split-decision over Derek Chisora at London’s O2 Arena on April 4, 2026. (aljazeera.com) The judges gave Wilder two cards and Chisora one, and the bout featured two knockdowns and a point deduction that swung the scoring. (forbes.com) Inside the ring and the corridors afterward, Wilder used that moment to press for a different kind of victory: he walked past Anthony Joshua, who was watching ringside, fist-bumped him and said, “Let’s do it.” (skysports.com) Wilder followed the exchange with a blunt assessment as he left: the crowd captured him saying Joshua was “scared,” and he later told reporters he had “dapped it up” and then invited Joshua to set the fight up. (skysports.com) The two men have been on opposite sides of the heavyweight conversation for years, and they were formally linked to a potential showdown before; both sides have tried to make a marquee British–American matchup happen in the past. (espn.com) That history matters because a Wilder–Joshua fight still promises heavy ticket sales and pay-per-view revenue: both are recognizable stars in the U.K., and observers say an outdoor stadium would sell out quickly. (espn.com) Putting the match together will require the usual algebra of modern boxing: agreement on purse splits, broadcast partners and timing for two aging names whose most marketable years are behind them. (espn.com) Both fighters were marking milestone nights: the O2 bout was the 50th pro fight for Wilder and for Chisora, and Wilder’s record now stands at 45-4-1. (aljazeera.com) The scorecards read 115–111 and 115–113 for Wilder and 112–115 for Chisora, details that show how narrow the result was and why Wilder chose the post-fight moment to amplify his bargaining position. (forbes.com) Wilder signaled plainly that his next fight—number 51—could be Joshua, and he left the O2 having both the win and a public prompt that promoters and broadcasters must now answer. (skysports.com)