'One name remains the focus for next fight' - Eddie Hearn Gives Update about Joshua vs Wilder Bout
Eddie Hearn, the Matchroom promoter, has confirmed that there have been offers from venues to host a potential Joshua vs Wilder showdown. This announcement comes after Joshua's recent victory over Robert Helenius, reigniting the search for his next opponent. The discussion in boxing circles hints at a December match for Joshua, possibly as a warm-up before facing Deontay Wilder. The prospect of a Joshua vs Wilder fight has been long-awaited, with years of speculation and negotiations. Some even speculate that this fight could be part of a double-header event, sharing the bill with Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship. However, during an interview with Boxing Social, Eddie Hearn primarily focused on the possibility of a Joshua vs Wilder clash. He disclosed that he had productive talks with Shelly Finkel, Wilder's representative, and both parties are eager to make this fight happen. Offers have been extended to both Joshua and Wilder, but the details are still being worked out. Hearn mentioned that while the original date discussed was in January, there are now talks of potentially moving it to February or March. The possibility of a Joshua vs Wilder December fight is also being considered, but there are logistical factors to address.
"I have one name - Deontay Wilder. I had a good convesation with Shelly Finkel yesterday. We want to make a fight. We received an offer, as did Deontay Wilder. Now, at the moment, we can't move forward with that, but we do have other offers that have come in, and we have opportunities to do that in other locations. "We'll speak to AJ about a couple of offers that have come in and hopefully we can go straight into that fight. "In the Middle East. We have to digest them, we have to speak to them about when the fight would take place. The original date was January, now there are talks of potentially February or March. Do we fight in December? "One name remains the focus for next fight and that's Deontay Wilder."Interestingly, Hearn raised questions about Wilder's track record, despite his formidable reputation. He pointed out that Wilder lacks a victory over an elite heavyweight throughout his career, suggesting that he has never defeated a top-five ranked heavyweight.
"I think Deontay Wilder is extremely exciting, but he does not have one elite victory on his resume. I don't think he's ever beaten a top-five heavyweight in his whole career."
