Eddie Hearn has weighed in on whether Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder would do more pay-per-view buys than Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk.
All the attention in the heavyweight division right now – ambitious or otherwise – is on a potential four-man tournament to be hosted in Saudi Arabia at the end of the year.
Hearn has added credibility to the plan, confirming that Skills Challenge Group would like to stage both super-fights on the same night in December – an event that would be unprecedented in boxing.
If both fights took place on the same card then it’s assumed there would be one pay-per-view price for all the action. However, when asked if they were staged on separate nights which would generate more buys, Hearn was adamant in his response.
Speaking to Boxing Social, the Matchroom promoter said:
“You know the answer to that question. Joshua-Wilder by a mile, by a mile, you know it’s a much more exciting fight than Fury-Usyk. Fury-Usyk is for the undisputed but, yes [Joshua-Wilder].”
The general opinion amongst fans is that a Fury-Usyk fight, which would crown the first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis, is more important for the sport, but an ‘AJ’-Wilder matchup is perhaps one of the most thrilling.
Wilder hasn’t been seen in the ring since his return last October against Robert Helenius – where he dispatched of the Finnish heavyweight in the first round.
Joshua returned to action last month, defeating American Jermaine Franklin by unanimous decision, but it wasn’t the statement performance that ‘AJ’ himself was looking for.
Hearn is hopeful that a deal can be reached in the coming weeks, and whether both men will risk a fight in between remains to be seen.