According to multiple reports, the negotiations between Anthony Joshua’s and Deontay Wilder’s representatives are progressing and ‘moving in the right direction, but very slowly.’
Although the WBC World heavyweight champion and his managers have expressed their desire to fight in the UK, it seems the biggest fight in world heavyweight boxing could be staged in America instead of Wembley.
Lance Pugmire of the La Times writes:
“While Eddie Hearn, the promoter for England’s Joshua, told The Times last week that he believes the rightful site for the bout would be the home of the three-belt champion in England, the active negotiation is connected to the guaranteed $50 million offer to Joshua made by Wilder’s managers, Al Haymon and Shelly Finkel.
“That offer, according to one source connected to the negotiations, ‘presumes the fight is in the U.S. on pay-per-view during U.S. prime time … having the fight in the U.K. would mean no $50 million guarantee.'”
The WBA, WBO, IBF & IBO champion and Hearn are not against the idea if the money is right. When asked about potentially fighting Wilder in America, Eddie Hearn said the following:
“If it’s in America, okay it can still happen but obviously it changes our decision process a little bit too if it’s in the UK which is where we wanted the fight. I think they will say it will be at Barclays or the MGM in Vegas, basically whoever pays the most money, no problem.
“We understand if it’s a lot of money, which it is, we have to look at all options and if this fight is in America it doesn’t mean we accept it…but it means we know and we need to funnel that information into our decision-making process,” told Hearn to Boxing Social.
Furthermore, the LA Times reports that the frontrunners for hosting Joshua-Wilder in America are the Barclays Center in Brooklyn New York and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Both heavyweights made headlines in March as Joshua captured the WBO World heavyweight title by outscoring Joseph Parker while Wilder retained his WBC belt with a knock out win over tough Cuban Luis Ortiz. If and when negotiations finish, it’s expected that the fight will happen near September or November instead of this summer.