World Boxing News has exclusively been informed that a fight between Deontay Wilder and heavyweight rival Andy Ruiz Jr. is off the table.
Contacting Wilder’s co-manager Shelly Finkel ahead of a big night for Anthony Joshua, WBN asked the New Yorker for an update.
“I know it’s adventurous, but the plan right now is to beat Robert Helenius, beat Deontay Wilder, and then beat Tyson Fury,” Hearn told Fighthub TV. “That is what we want to do.
“Step one is [Helenius], and if we don’t get past step one, we’re screwed. So focus on that as it’s what we want to do.
“I expect the Wilder fight to be made. The Saudi guys will be there [at AJ vs Helenius]. He [Joshua] hopefully gets the win, and we can get it done.”
Reports immediately centered from the interview on the possibility of Wilder vs Joshua being agreed upon as early as this weekend. However, it’s only been a few weeks since Wilder called out Ruiz again.
The pair went back and forth, but ultimately Wilder stated Ruiz had wanted a more significant cut of the purse than anticipated. WBN still believed talks were happening behind the scenes.
However, WBN wanted confirmation from Finkel that Wilder was in a position to negotiate with Joshua free from Ruiz.
Before talk of Wilder vs Joshua, the WBC had sanctioned the Ruiz fight as a final eliminator for Tyson Fury. However, Wilder is no longer pursuing that option, according to Finkel.
“I can confirm that Deontay Wilder vs Andy Ruiz Jr. is off, for now,” Finkel told World Boxing News exclusively.
Asked about confirmed Wilder vs Joshua on Saturday night at the O2 Arena in London, Finkel responded: “All I can say is that I hope Anthony Joshua wins the fight.”
The admission by Finkel clears up the WBC eliminator, but not what happens if Wilder vs Joshua gets over the line. Will World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman be willing to switch sanctions from Wilder vs Ruiz to the Joshua fight?
Joshua is ranked number three by the WBC in the latest August ratings, a move up from previous positions. This could mean the WBC would allow the alteration without a purse bid.
The condition could be that the winner of Wilder vs Joshua fights Ruiz before being given the green light for Fury. WBN intends to put that to Mr. Sulaiman.
It makes sense to allow Wilder vs Joshua for the mandatory spot. Fury hasn’t had a stipulation since Dillian Whyte sixteen months ago.
All Joshua has to do is get through Helenius. Wilder could then await, along with a sanctioned path to a UK super-fight with Tyson Fury.
The pressure on the Londonder’s shoulders has since intensified many times over.
Phil Jay is an experienced boxing news writer.
