Joshua and Wilder have been on collision course for years (Picture: Getty)
Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder have agreed a deal to fight on 9 March in Saudi Arabia should both come through their tests on 23 December unscathed.
The heavyweight rivals will share a spectacular card two days before Christmas in Riyadh with Joshua taking on Otto Wallin. Wilder meanwhile is in action against former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker.
Saudi boxing officials have made no secret of their desire to finally stage Joshua vs Wilder in 2024 with a date now agreed for March, ESPN report.
It would follow the historic undisputed title showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, which also takes place in Saudi on 17 February.
All four major belts will be on the line with WBC champion Fury and IBF, WBO and WBA king Usyk meet to crown the division’s first sole champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.
Joshua and Wilder will hope to secure a match against the winner later in 2024 but face major hurdles before then.
The former Olympian takes on Swedish heavyweight Wallin, who gave Fury a major scare in their 2019 bout.
Fury and Usyk will meet on 17 February (Picture: Getty)
‘The Gypsy King’ needed 47 stitches after Wallin opened up a cut above his right eye.
Wilder meanwhile takes on former world champion Parker. The New Zealander has recorded three wins in an impressive year, most recently knocking out Simon Kean on the Fury vs Francis Ngannou card in October.
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‘The Bronze Bomber’ has fought just one round of boxing in over two years – his demolition job on Robert Helenius in October 2022.
Daniel Dubois also on that stacked 23 December card, taking on Jarrell Miller.
WBA light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol and IBF cruiserweight king Jai Opetaia are also in action, taking on British fighters Lyndon Arthur and Ellis Zorro respectively.
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A date has finally been agreed!
