Eddie Hearn has warned the WBC world heavyweight champion, Deontay Wilder, that they will not be held to ransom in an attempt to see the Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder unification made.
Eddie Hearn also strongly disputes ‘The Bronze Bomber’s team’s claim that the fight is worth a potential mammoth $100 million.
The Matchroom mogul anticipates that the fight is actually worth somewhere nearer half that amount.
“I saw reports that it’s a $100 million dollar fight – no it’s not.”
“It can get there if both guys are really built in America.”
Tomorrow night ๐
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— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) April 20, 2018
“I think the fight is really worth, conservatively.”
“I know my numbers and it does around $40 million dollars or $50 million dollars in profit from the show.”
“If we talk about generated, it’s totally something different.”
“You have pay-per-view companies who take splits of the pay-per-view. You have to pay for arenas, undercards, hotels, flights, doping, everything.”
Let’s call it $40 million to be safe. The $12.5 is what 31 or 32% [of the 40 million], that’s more than fair,” Hearn told BoxingScene.com.
“He doesn’t deserve more than that in my opinion.”
“People say we gave Joseph Parker 33% – we didn’t and I don’t know where that number came from.”
Hearn was quick to add that they have almost doubled the figure paid to former WBO world heavyweight champion, Joseph Parker in Joshua’s last fight in the negotiations with Wilder.
#TBT to when I found loyalty โnโ love for the game.. Finchley ABC ๐ฅ @UnderArmourUK #WillFindsAWaypic.twitter.com/QG4xH1Ghhy
— Anthony Joshua (@anthonyjoshua) April 19, 2018
“The offer to Deontay Wilder will be twice as much as what Joseph Parker made in the fight. Wilder has been offered five to six times his highest purse to fight Anthony Joshua.”
Anthony Joshua won’t even make anywhere near double his highest purse.
“I feel that we’re getting penalized because somebody has done a sh*t job with Deontay Wilder.
“You have a guy who is making $2 to 2.5 million a fight and people are like ‘he deserves $25 million.’ Why? On what basis? He has no profile.”
“He can’t sell 10,000 tickets when he fights in a great fight in America.”
Hearn added that he believes Joshua is aiming for the big fights but with the split other camps are demanding it means he isn’t able to maximise his earning potential.
“We have a guy who is making all of this money and can continue doing so, in risk-free fights.”
“Now you’re asking our guy to be in the biggest fight of his career for a little more.”
“People don’t understand the simple economics and the reality of the situation.
“One guy is earning $2.5 million dollars and the other is earning ten times as much. Joshua has overpaid his opponents.”
Furthermore, Hearn listed a long line of defeated adversaries who were overpaid when they locked horns with Joshua.
ITโS FIGHT DAY!! The return on @amirkingkhan tonight live on @SkySports in ๐ฌ๐ง and @espn in ๐บ๐ธ #BackToBusiness ๐ฅ pic.twitter.com/PbIYChXd6v
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) April 21, 2018
“He overpaid Charles Martin, he overpaid Dillian Whyte, he overpaid Breazeale, he overpaid Takam, he overpaid Parker.”
“We ain’t doing it again. We’re not going to overpay Deontay Wilder for this fight.”
“We want this fight, but does that mean that we’re going to roll over and let you play with our balls while we give Deontay Wilder something he doesn’t deserve – no;” Hearn concluded.
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