‘Deontay Wilder is in’: Anthony Joshua fight is getting closer, says Eddie Hearn

by



Eddie Hearn has said that Anthony Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder is “ongoing,” “subject to completion of terms” on their potential heavyweight bout.

Joshua and Wilder are in talks to meet in Saudi Arabia in December, and both fighters have expressed their desire to reach an agreement.

Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, has now suggested that talks are progressing, although a fight is not a certainty.

“They tell us that Wilder is in,” Hearn told Boxing Social on Wednesday (May 3). “Subject to finalizing some of the terms, but again, we know these people, we’ve dealt with them multiple times, we’re in.

“In [Joshua’s] Mind you, he will fight Deontay Wilder in December. Once that’s documented, we work backwards to the end of July or the first week of August.”

Hearn was referring to the plan for Britain’s Joshua, 33, to compete this summer before facing American Wilder, 37.

“I want him to fight, I think he wants to fight, I think [coach] Derrick James wants me to fight,” Hearn said. “We just have to pick the right opponent, because he really is a setup for that fight with Wilder. you can not [prepare for him] in a sense, but you can cement everything you’ve been doing, you can be more confident, you can feel more comfortable, in your team, in your tactics.

“You need proper opposition, but you’re not going to fight a top-five guy when you have one of the biggest fighters in the world five months later.

“My priority right now is: secure the Deontay Wilder fight. Any other decision will follow from that.”

Wilder posted a cryptic tweet on Tuesday (May 2) after reports surfaced that the former WBC champion had been arrested earlier that day.

Wilder was said to have been pulled over by police while driving his Rolls Royce through Hollywood and a weapon was reportedly discovered in the vehicle.

The American was detained around 1:15 a.m., held for several hours, and released from jail at 6:34 a.m., according to reports. It is said that he has been “cooperative” throughout the entire incident.

Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s sports channel on YouTube to see the latest sports videos.

Leave a Comment