Promoter Eddie Hearn has admitted his frustration at not being able to land the biggest heavyweight fight out there.
Matchroom, backed by streaming service DAZN, made an offer to sign Deontay Wilder to a multi-fight deal.
The endgame was to seal an undisputed unification clash for Anthony Joshua in late 2019 or 2020.
Wilder turned down terms as the contract only included a straight cash offer. Not the 50-50 split the American says he deserves.
Hearn is now ready to go back to the drawing board.
“I don’t even know if it’s Deontay Wilder or just the people around him. They don’t want this fight,” Hearn told Sky Sports. “If they did, they’d take the fight. Offers have been made over the last year.
“They have trebled actually. I don’t know, it’s frustrating.”
Adding to already confirmed dates for Joshua and Wilder this spring and summer, Hearn then revealed Tyson Fury’s next fight date before it’s been officially confirmed by Top Rank and Frank Warren.
“All I know is Anthony Joshua will box Jarrell Miller June 1, MSG, Wilder is boxing May 18 against Dominic Breazeale, actually the guy who in his 17th fight with glandular fever, Anthony Joshua destroyed.
“Then Tyson Fury will box June 15 in America. Those big three are all tied up for the summer. We’ve just got to keep trying. There’s nothing more we can do than just keep trying.”
Fury recently stated he’ll head to Las Vegas, although didn’t go so far as to inform fans of the date.
Warren may not take kindly to Hearn making that announcement. It follows the Matchroom boss doing similar with Chris Eubank Jr. v James DeGale previously.
It obvious Hearn is not happy how things have transpired for Joshua, who now faces seeing out the remainder of 2019 without challenging for another title belt.
“It’s extremely frustrating, but like I said, it looks clear now what those big three now are doing this summer. It’s our responsibility,” he said.
“I hope they understand their responsibility to give the fight fans what they want, which is the biggest fight in world boxing, hopefully at the end of the year.
“But after what we saw last week (Wilder rejecting DAZN), who knows?”
DISASTER
Joshua and Wilder are now just one defeat away from disaster, concluded Hearn.
“Make it now! – If Breazeale were to beat Wilder, if Miller was to beat AJ, we lose the biggest fight in world boxing. So hopefully, everybody can keep winning.
“The heavyweight division and the sport of boxing continues to grow. We can only hope that fights get bigger.
“Eventually, team Wilder (will) have nowhere to go but to accept that huge (straight cash) offer.”
