For a moment, Eddie Hearn and Deontay Wilder’s relationship looked to be on the mend – just for a moment.
After the former heavyweight champion announced that he was free and open to work with any promoter in the sport of boxing, Hearn of Matchroom made it known via the media that he would be making an approach.
They have been in talks in the past regarding a fight for Wilder with Hearn’s superstar, Anthony Joshua, however things turned sour quickly and that’s a fight that still finds itself on the wish list of heavyweight fans.
The promoter most recently looked to work with Wilder to stage a WBC final eliminator fight with Andy Ruiz Jr, telling media that he could use his connections in the Middle East to stage it there.
When Wilder was asked about working with Hearn, he replied simply ‘that’s negative.’
Asked for his response by Boxing Social, the promoter said it was a shame, and bragged that the Alabama native could kiss Middle Eastern payday goodbye.
“This is a shame.
Wilder’s not gonna get any money in the Middle East, because, as we said to you yesterday… ‘oh I’m doing a fight in the Middle East…’ No you’re not.”
In an interview earlier this week, Hearn stated that he was the only promoter who has put on big fights in the Middle East.
After years of failed negotiations, fans had hoped that a Matchroom and Wilder link up would make the Joshua fight possible for later this year.
That now seems as far away as ever, and Wilder has revealed he’s currently weighing up many options for his next outing, including a potential two fight deal with former UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou.