Anthony Joshua's rival Deontay Wilder reveals why the British boxer has 'lost the respect' of heavyweight division, as they prepare to fight each other if they both win their bouts this weekend

Deontay Wilder has fired an early shot at rival Anthony Joshua by claiming that the British boxer has 'lost the respect he once had' among fellow heavyweight fighters. 

The pair are on a collision course and could finally go head-to-head next year, providing they can each win their bouts on the exciting The Day of Reckoning card taking place in Saudi Arabia on December 23. 

Wilder will be taking on the experienced Joseph Parker, while Joshua will look to conquer his southpaw demons against Otto Wallin. 

The 38-year-old, who last fought over a year ago, reckoned that Joshua's defeats to Oleksandr Usyk have seen him lose his standing within the heavyweight division and explains why the likes of Jarrell Miller have been confident enough to fire insults his way. 

'At the press conference, I didn’t need to say much about Anthony Joshua.' Wilder told Instant Casino. 'Everyone, especially Jarrell Miller, had already said plenty. 

'Even though I’m not a fan of Miller, he hit the nail on the head about Joshua. With him saying that, there was no need for me to add anything. 

'It felt like a bunch of guys were already targeting him. AJ seems to have lost the respect he once had. 

'Now, with a few losses under his belt, everyone sees him as beatable and doesn’t hesitate to talk smack. That must be tough for him, going from widely respected to this. When I’m around him, I sense it.'

After his bruising defeats to the Ukrainian, Joshua bounced back with wins against Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius. 

The  34-year-old's quest to become a three-time world champion sees him meet the impressive Swede, whose only defeat of his professional career came at the hands of Tyson Fury in 2019. 

Should he come through that, a much anticipated bout with Wilder awaits and the American was keen to stress that only a defeat for either fighter this weekend could thwart a match-up next year. 

'As of now, I don’t see anything preventing our fight with AJ.' Added Wilder. 'The only thing that might derail it is if either of us loses on December 23. 

'But all the previous issues, like disagreements with his manager and promoter, don’t seem to be a problem anymore. 

'Everyone seems on the same page. If we both win on December 23, everyone can look forward to an exciting 2024 with Wilder vs. Joshua.'