Deontay Wilder Defeats Derek Chisora in London and Issues Challenge to Anthony Joshua

Deontay Wilder defeated Derek Chisora by split decision at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday, April 4, 2026, and immediately called out Anthony Joshua for a long-awaited heavyweight showdown. Two judges scored the bout 115-111 and 115-113 in Wilder's favor, while a third scored it 115-112 for Chisora. The victory was Wilder's 45th in 50 professional fights. Chisora, 42, suffered his 14th defeat in his own 50th career bout and signaled that his time in the ring was over. The fight itself was a turbulent twelve-round affair in which Wilder sent Chisora to the canvas twice but also had a point deducted and was himself knocked down in the eleventh round, surviving to claim the decision.

Wilder confronts Joshua ringside, demands fight The most consequential moment of the evening came not inside the ring but beside it. As Wilder made his way from the ring toward the locker room, he stopped to confront Anthony Joshua, who was seated ringside. The two fist-bumped, and Wilder told Joshua directly: "Let's do it." In his post-fight press conference, Wilder elaborated on the exchange. „It wasn't a few words, I dapped it up with him and I said, now let's get it on. I'm ready for whoever, long as these guys are in the heavyweight division, I am here. You can call me Mr Clean, because I want to clean up the whole division. The division is nothing without Deontay Wilder.” — Deontay Wilder via Reuters Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn, who was standing with Joshua during the encounter, confirmed the Briton's response was measured but unambiguous. „He said, let's do it. AJ sort of stared at him ice cold, but he would fight him no problem.” — Eddie Hearn via Fight Hub TV The BBC also reported that as Wilder walked away from the exchange, he could be heard saying "He's scared."

Joshua's first public appearance since fatal Nigeria crash Saturday's appearance at the O2 Arena marked Anthony Joshua's first public outing since a car accident in Nigeria on December 29, 2025, that killed two of his close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif "Latz" Ayodele. Joshua sustained minor injuries in the crash and was subsequently discharged from hospital, but had kept a low profile since attending the funerals of the two men. He arrived at the venue with Hearn, dressed in a white tracksuit, and walked calmly past camera crews before taking his ringside seat. Joshua's last professional bout was a sixth-round stoppage of Jake Paul on December 19, 2025, which improved his record to 29 (wins) — Joshua's professional wins after stopping Jake Paul against four defeats. During a brief ringside interview with DAZN before the main event, Joshua said the atmosphere was a positive sign for the sport. „It amazing to be here. Boxing, especially British boxing, is booming.” — Anthony Joshua via The Independent

Wilder and Joshua were considered the two dominant forces in the heavyweight division during the late 2010s, when Wilder held the WBC heavyweight title and Joshua simultaneously held the WBA, IBF, and WBO belts. A unification bout between them was widely anticipated but never took place. Wilder subsequently lost his WBC title to Tyson Fury in 2020 and also lost their third fight. Joshua lost his belts to Oleksandr Usyk, who went on to become the unified heavyweight champion after defeating Fury in May 2024. A Joshua-Wilder fight had been scheduled for 2024 but collapsed after Wilder suffered a shock loss to Joseph Parker.

Chisora retires, Fury fight looms over division Derek Chisora, who turned professional in 2007, acknowledged after the defeat that his career had reached its natural end. He reflected on a career that included two failed world title challenges, a notorious incident in which he spat water at Wladimir Klitschko, and a brawl with David Haye after a bout in Germany. „I'm tired now. I can't do it any more. You know when you know it's time, it is time. I've had a great career. It has been amazing.” — Derek Chisora via The Guardian Chisora left open the possibility of remaining involved in boxing in a non-fighting capacity, though he said he did not yet know in what role. The broader heavyweight landscape remains unsettled, with Tyson Fury scheduled to return to the ring against Arslanbek Makhmudov in the United Kingdom on April 11, 2026. Whether a Wilder-Joshua bout materializes will depend in part on how Joshua's recovery from the trauma of December 2025 progresses, with Hearn indicating the fighter is ready to return.

[{"side1": "Deontay Wilder", "side2": "Derek Chisora", "score1": 115, "score2": 111, "round": "Judge 1"}, {"side1": "Deontay Wilder", "side2": "Derek Chisora", "score1": 115, "score2": 113, "round": "Judge 2"}, {"side1": "Derek Chisora", "side2": "Deontay Wilder", "score1": 115, "score2": 112, "round": "Judge 3"}]

Key events leading to Wilder-Joshua call-out: — ; — ; — ; — ; —