With Anthony Joshua reemerging into the spotlight following his tragic accident earlier this year, rumors as to who will be his next opponent fuel social media discussions across platforms.
One of the most-requested opponents remains to be The Bronze Bomber.
Yet Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder didn’t collapse over one bad meeting, social media beef or a single rejected contract. According to promoter Eddie Hearn, it never truly materialized in the first place.
Speaking on Cigar Talk, Hearn pushed back on years of narrative that the heavyweight clash slipped through boxing’s fingers during its peak window. Despite the widely publicized $50 million offer from Deontay Wilder’s team in 2018, Hearn framed the situation as nothing of actual substance.
“They never made a real offer,” Hearn said on the podcast, reiterating a stance he has maintained for years. “There was never a contract. There was never anything you could actually sign.”
That version of events continues to divide fans, especially given how close the fight once appeared. At the time, Wilder’s team—led by Shelly Finkel and advised by Al Haymon—claimed they presented Joshua with a guaranteed eight-figure purse and a path to undisputed. Hearn, however, has consistently questioned the legitimacy and structure behind that proposal.
Fast forward to 2026, and the same themes—frustration, stalled negotiations, and public callouts—are playing out again, this time with Tyson Fury.
Fresh off his win over Arslanbek Makhmudov, Fury used his platform on Netflix to call out Anthony Joshua, reigniting demand for an all-British showdown. Joshua’s response was less theatrical, simply flipping Fury off.
Joshua and Hearn appear less interested in navigating the drawn-out, often public negotiations that have historically accompanied fights with both Fury and Wilder. The demand remains, but the patience for the process may not.
Hearn has made it clear that while those fights are still on the table, the terms have to be grounded in reality. That applies to Fury, whose past negotiations with Joshua have repeatedly stalled, and to Wilder, whose long-discussed showdown with AJ now feels more like a “what if” than an inevitability.
Instead, Joshua is expected to return this summer in a tune-up bout as talks with Fury continue in the background. Whether that long-awaited fight finally lands—or joins Wilder vs. Joshua as another missed moment—may depend less on public callouts and more on whether both sides can actually put something real on paper this time, because it is long over-marinated.
