WBA President Gilberto Jesus Mendoza has ordered heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua to finalize a defense against mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin. Mendoza told Sky Sports, “Today the WBA requested an answer from Anthony Joshua’s team regarding his fight with the mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin. The WBA have allowed over a month extension to negotiations with Povetkin and also ongoing discussions with Deontay Wilder. It appears the Wilder team have not returned the contract for the fight and therefore we are requesting a date for the Joshua versus Povetkin fight with immediate effect.”