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Home » Eddie Hearn admits Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder is off another year

Eddie Hearn admits Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder is off another year

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Promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed why a fight between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder won’t happen for at least another year.

Speaking as he prepares to announce Joshua’s fight against Andy Ruiz Jr. on June 1st, Hearn stated his belief that Wilder has already agreed deals for TWO MORE defenses of his WBC title.

Wilder is lined up to battle Dominic Breazeale in a grudge match on May 18. After that, Hearns says Wilder will rematch Luis Ortiz.

Furthermore, ‘The Bronze Bomber’ will then give Adam Kownacki his promised opportunity.

“Everybody in the business tells me that he (Deontay Wilder) has been told and all these fighters have been told that his next fights are Ortiz and Kownacki.

“That worries me because the only fight we want next is Deontay. They’ve got a plan to fight these other guys in place,” pointed out Hearn to Barbershop Conversations.

Due to timescale, and that’s if you really attempt to fit in both bouts for September and January, Joshua could conceivably take place in May or June of 2020.

That’s a long way for fans to wait, having already been tantalized by the world heavyweight champions for some time.

It’s a hammer blow for the division, also as Tyson Fury has been ruled out of the equation until February by Bob Arum.

The Top Rank boss want’s Fury to gain more traction before making an offer to Wilder early next year for a shared TV bout on ESPN and Showtime.

It all leaves Joshua in a tough spot. But free to concentrate on his own mandatories.

MANDATORY

Kubrat Pulev should be after Ruiz due to his number one status with the IBF. The Bulgarian just has to sort out his issue with a female reporter first.

Then, Oleksandr Usyk could step up having been ratified by the WBO. Before ‘Regular’ champion Manuel Charr or ‘interim’ holder Trevor Bryan are pushed by the WBA.

Joshua never usually fights three times in one year. This means Pulev is likely for October or November. Usyk, potentially in a Wembley return, for the spring or summer of 2020.

Then the WBA stipulation in the fall or potentially September 2020. Unless Wilder comes to the table by then – of course.

We continue to hold our breath.