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Home » Why Wilder overlooking Fury for Joshua negotiations would be ludicrous

Why Wilder overlooking Fury for Joshua negotiations would be ludicrous

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Promoter Eddie Hearn says he’s ‘kind of’ negotiating a deal for a massive heavyweight fight between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder.

Despite Wilder’s co-manager Shelly Finkel exclusively informing WBN that a deal is off the table until after their huge clash with Tyson Fury on December 1, Hearn hasn’t given up.

“We are kind of talking to Al Haymon and some legal guys on his side. There are people that want to help and make this fight happen,” Hearn told Sky Sports on Saturday night in Newcastle.

“Even in Chicago, I had a couple of conversations over two days with someone who felt they could help. It was so productive. We were talking about splits and numbers. It’s so natural to do that.

“He’s a powerful player in the world of boxing and has the ears of Wilder’s team. He probably feels like there needs a mediator to say, ‘I spoke to Eddie, this is interesting, how do you feel?’

“If you negotiate on emotion, then the fight will never get made. I don’t negotiate on emotion. Some people do that and Shelly does.”

WBN contacted Finkel immediately after the statements were made and were told there’s absolutely no movement on a deal.

Nothing has changed. Nor will it alter until after the fight between Wilder and Fury in less than 50 days.

Finkel and promoter Lou DiBella, plus advisor Al Haymon and trainer/co-manager Jay Deas or all on the same page. So nothing official will come until the Fury fight is complete.

It’s ludicrous for Wilder to even think about another fight. Let alone an undisputed unification when there will still be FIVE MONTHS left to negotiate after the Fury bout.

Fury is recognized as one of the best heavyweights around, on his day, so Wilder even taking his eye off the ball for one second would be madness.

The door has been left firmly ajar for talks after December 1. Finkel and Haymon – like Hearn, are all supposedly pulling in the same direction on that.


PATIENCE

Only one difference now stands between getting the fight over the line. And that’s the willingness to wait, out of respect to Fury at least.

Joshua has other options – as always, but if he wants the fight as much as stated, the heavyweight king can hold off six more weeks.

A win for Fury, not out of the realms of possibility by any means, would put a firm dent in any plans for Joshua v Wilder.

Therefore, all sides have to keep focused on what’s next for them. Before then beginning more groundwork for Wembley in 2019.

Fury has his own plans to pack out the National Stadium against Wilder next year himself, meaning everything is at stake at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on that colossal date in December.

Phil Jay is Editor of World Boxing News. Follow on Twitter @PhilDJay