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Home » Barry Hearn reveals two date considerations for Anthony Joshua v Deontay Wilder

Barry Hearn reveals two date considerations for Anthony Joshua v Deontay Wilder

Hearn, whose son Eddie is steering the Matchroom ship these days, is mostly in the background but remains a close pal of Wilder’s advisor Shelly Finkel.

The two boxing stalwarts have held informal talks adding to Eddie’s recent meeting with Finkel and Al Hayon in New York, with everything looking positive for a future blockbuster.

“I’ve known Shelly Finkel for 30 years, sociably as friends, as business people,” Hearn exclusively told Sky Sports. “We sit down, two old men, discussing fights we would like to see made. I can’t call them positive, but I call them open as two friends would talk openly.

“The detail will go down when Eddie sits down with Al Haymon, because they are the two guys who actually call the shots. Shelly and I are advisors and I think it’s a fight that we would both like to see. There is no reason why it can’t be staged next summer.”

On Joshua agreeing to a deal with Joseph Parker first off before potentially bringing four belts into a battle with Wilder,” Hearn added:

“If Parker’s people are serious about fighting ‘AJ’ in March-April time, and I think they are – again they are probably unrealistic, but I don’t think they are too far away,” he said.

“That could obviously be the WBO belt and Deontay Wilder – that fight has to happen at some stage. Is it the summer of 2018? Or is it November-December 2018?

“I believe it would certainly be one of those dates. I believe for a particular moment of time, by the end of 2018, Anthony Joshua will have more belts around him than Father Christmas will have around his stomach.”

Wilder is known to want the fight to happen before Joshua unifies the division against Parker, although Eddie Hearn intends to keep the anticipation going in order to maximise the event’s PPV potential worldwide.

Rumor has it Showtime are considering the clash for their Pay-Per-View platform, which would be a first for Wilder in a headlining capacity.