Deontay Wilder appears to have successfully moved back into contention via arbitration for a contracted rematch against WBC champion Tyson Fury, with the third bout between the duo pencilled in for July 24 in Las Vegas.
And ahead of the trilogy, Wilder told Premier Boxing Champions in a recent interview he has every intention of testing WBA, WBO and IBF titleholder Anthony Joshua's claim that he is targeting belts, not boxers if he is able to reclaim the accolade he lost to Fury in February 2020.
Wilder quoted Joshua when saying: "[He] said: 'It's not about the man, it's about the person with the belt'.
"I'm very confident in what I am going to do. I'm strongly confident in what I'm about to do.
"How the hell will they beat a full, healthy Deontay Wilder?
"Once I get through Fury, once I do that? You already know what I want.
"But, as I'm hearing, [Joshua and his team] are already making up excuses - mandatories!
"I want them to keep that same energy because they tried to make the Fury fight."
Joshua has repeatedly proclaimed that becoming a four-belt undisputed heavyweight champion is his primary goal. We could find out what he wants later this year if Wilder can indeed defeat Fury, following a draw and a rather comprehensive defeat to the Brit.
If 'AJ' looked to resume the collapsed negotiations to battle compatriot Fury in a megafight even in the event of a Wilder victory, 'The Bronze Bomber' would indeed have somewhat of a point.
Nonetheless, a Joshua mandatory title defence likely has little to do with any of that. The London 2012 Olympic gold medalist will want to stay active while Fury and Wilder run it back, and fulfilling a title obligation in the process gives him the best chance of keeping his hopes of an undisputed title fight in the near future alive.
Of course, after Wilder publicly admitted last year that he opted not to face Joshua in order to take on Fury instead, contradicting previous assertions that 'AJ' was ducking him, many fans will find it hard to digest the American in turn accusing the Brit of not being completely honest.