The announcement that Anthony Joshua’s WBA/WBO/IBF World heavyweight title defence against Alexander Povetkin came as of little surprise to the boxing community.
Though fans of the sport had hoped that Joshua would face off against WBC World heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, his WBA mandatory defence against Povetkin had seemed, for a while, to be the most likely option.
Despite months of prolonged negotiations between the camps of Joshua and Wilder for an undisputed title showdown, a deal could not be reached, with the British star now squaring off against the 38-year-old former Olympic Gold medallist at Wembley Stadium on September 22nd.
However, following the announcement of the fight, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn revealed in an interview with iFL TV that the two men will travel to New York for the first announcement press conference on Tuesday.
This news has raised eyebrows among followers of the sport, as the press conference will, it seems, coincide with Hearn and Matchroom USA’s announcement with streaming service DAZN, who have inked an exclusive deal with the promotional outfit to broadcast shows across North America.
With Hearn and Matchroom USA expected to unveil a series of high-profile signings in – you guessed it – New York this afternoon, the presence of both Joshua and Povetkin is suspiciously convenient.
The attendance of Joshua and Povetkin is made all-the-more curious due to the fact that Joshua’s broadcast deal with American network Showtime has also expired – leaving him as a free agent, and therefore able to strike a new deal with any broadcaster he should see fit: such as DAZN.
With murmurs that Hearn’s involvement with DAZN played a role in the breakdown in negotiations with Wilder’s manager Shelly Finkel and Showtime – who Wilder is signed to – an announcement of Joshua-Povetkin on the streaming platform will do little to quell those rumours.
Should Hearn and DAZN announce Joshua-Povetkin this afternoon, it will be a considerably coup for the platform, with Joshua undoubtedly one of the sport’s most marketable fighters.
Luckily – and unlike negotiations for Joshua-Wilder – we won’t have to wait long to find out the answer…