With the road now clear to make Anthony Joshua versus Deontay Wilder, what implications will the bout have on the heavyweight division?
The two former champions are deep in negotiations to fight in Saudi Arabia in early 2024, with no belts on the line but plenty of intrigue and danger.
As well as being a fan-friendly, mega-money event, it’s thought that the winner will push on in an attempt to bag a world title again before hanging up the gloves – the third time for ‘AJ’, second for Wilder.
As the WBC’s number one, Wilder, versus number three, Joshua, with number two, Andy Ruiz Jr, reportedly ‘out-pricing’ himself on more than one occasion, the sanctioning body could well see the fight as the way to finally announce a mandatory challenger for Tyson Fury.
Boxing Social asked Eddie Hearn if this is something he would be petitioning for, but the promoter said that it was unlikely.
“Good question, but sometimes when you do that it affects your bargaining position. I’ll give you an example. Tyson Fury already agreed to 60/40 with Anthony Joshua.
If he [Joshua] becomes mandatory, it’s 70/30 with the WBC. So probably not.”
Hearn went on to speak about a potential purse split and what the figures look like to him. It’s something that has been a sticking point for Fury in the past, the best example being his doomed 70/30 offer to Oleksandr Usyk.
“If he beats Wilder, AJ, I think the [Fury] fight becomes 50/50. But Fury as champion, 60/40 at the moment is fair.
Don’t forget when AJ was champion and Fury wasn’t, [Fury] said he would only take the fight at 50/50. But we’re prepared to take 60/40, which has kind of been agreed ultimately anyway.”
Fury – who has held the belt since February 2020 – has only had one mandatory challenger, Dillian Whyte in April of 2022.
He defended his world title voluntarily against Derek Chisora in December and, since the sanctioning body has not presented him with a fight since, decided to face MMA star Francis Ngannou this year in a crossover bout.