Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder Saudi super-fight could be ‘signed off’ within the next two weeks, Eddie Hearn says
EDDIE HEARN says Anthony Joshua’s superfight in Saudi Arabia against Deontay Wilder could be finished within two weeks.
The two heavyweight stars are in talks for a blockbuster in December in the Middle East.
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Joshua, 33, has boxed twice before in Saudi Arabia, beating Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019 but losing to Oleksandr Usyk last August.
So promoter Eddie Hearn has no doubt that Prince Khalid’s Skill Challenge Entertainment will win the mega money fight.
He told that DAZN boxing show: “If Prince Khalid and these guys tell me it’s done, then it happens, I believe them.
“I didn’t believe them at first because of the Andy Ruiz fight, but I quickly realized these guys are real.”
“We’re hoping to get everything signed contractually in the next week or two.”
Wilder, 37, has not returned since knocking out Robert Helenius, 39, in the first round of his comeback fight in October.
But Joshua bounced back with a win over Jermaine Franklin (29) in April, which followed back-to-back defeats to Usyk (36).
It was his first under trainer Derrick James and Hearn wants AJ to have one more fight with the American before taking on Wilder.
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Discussions have been ongoing with Dillian Whyte, 35, about a repeat of the grudge fight Joshua won in 2015.
But Hearn admitted the fight is facing KO over financial demands.
He said: “I don’t think it will be Dillian Whyte.
“I just think it’s difficult to talk about money and find a middle ground.
“Apparently [Whyte] has its perceived value in this fight, we have the number we think is right, obviously AJ wants to get paid. It is very difficult.
“I just don’t think that financially – to be perfectly honest – we can reach an agreement with Dillian Whyte for this fight.”
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