📸: STEPHANIE TRAPP

Deontay Wilder’s co-manager and co-trainer Jay Deas has exclusively informed WBN the WBC champion has accepted Anthony Joshua’s offer to fight.

In the aftermath of Joshua’s win over Joseph Parker on Saturday night, the Briton made his intentions to fight ‘The Bronze Bomber’ in an undisputed battle very clear.

“One hundred percent, 100 percent,” Joshua said. “You’re asking me, do I want to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world? The WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO. Twenty one fights, six world championship fights. I am not into the hype. I am about the business. So, let’s talk business. Eddie Hearn can talk with Al Haymon and (Shelly Finkel).

“Just like Dillion (Whyte) said, ‘WILDER, LET’S GO, BABY.’ Let’s go. On this side of the pond, we are serious. Great Britain, the United Kingdom, we are representing. We have all the fighters, champions from heavyweight all the way down to the lower weight classes. We are about the business.

“Get him (Wilder) in the ring, and I’ll knock him spark out,” he added.

Deas wasted no time responding to the callout by stating he wanted Eddie Hearn to send the contracts for what is the most talked about battle in boxing right now.

“We are glad Joshua said what he said. We accept! Send contracts immediately. UK we are on the way!” Deas exclusively told World Boxing News.

In a previous interview last week, Deas had stated: “Deontay isn’t putting anyone in front of Joshua, so Joshua shouldn’t put anyone in front of Deontay. It’s the final four. Wilder-Ortiz, Joshua-Parker. Wilder won and if Joshua wins, it’s only right the two should fight next!

“You don’t get to the final two in football, basketball or any other sport then have one say, ‘well we’re going to play this other team first’ – nonsense!

“I personally don’t believe AJ is Eddie’s puppet. I think AJ is his own man, a great champion who wants to fight the best. I hope I’m right and that he tells Eddie to make the fight. He has the power to do just that.

“Deontay vs AJ, it’s the biggest fight in boxing. We don’t need another Lennox Lewis v Riddick Bowe super-fight that we never got to see. The sport needs it to happen and now.

“We want the fight. It’s a great contest, a historic contest. We want the fight. I’ll say it a third time. We want the fight – do they?”

Alexander Povetkin, who won in the chief support bout, is currently mandatory with the WBO and WBA, whilst Jarrell Miller seems to have been promised his turn by promoter Hearn at some point this year.

It had been thought Wilder may have to go through Dillian Whyte in order to get to Joshua, but with the Londoner calling out Povetkin in Wales, Hearn could have a tasty double-header on his hands with the winners eventually fighting each other in 2019.

Phil Jay is Editor of World Boxing News. Follow on Twitter @PhilDJay