Deontay Wilder offering Anthony Josuha the price he wanted to fight will forever haunt the Briton as a fight continues to elude boxing fans.
Joshua’s now immortal words could come back to bite him. Deontay Wilder and his team called the Briton’s bluff, with the vast majority since knowing the truth about the now infamous offer.
Wilder put together a $50m guaranteed 50% package for Joshua to face him in an undisputed heavyweight title clash in Las Vegas in a stunning turn of events 2018.
Previously, and when offering Wilder a quarter of that figure, Joshua had stated that he would accept the deal if sent in that capacity through more than one interview.
Deontay Wilder accepted Anthony Joshua’s $50m offer
“Deontay Wilder, say he gave me 50 million dollars – if he gives me $50m, I’ll accept the fight the next day – I swear,” Joshua had stated.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ found backing to make the deal. He put it in writing and sent a contract. Joshua never signed it. The Briton’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, believed at the time it was financial suicide for Wilder’s representatives.
Hearns said the fight would only generate $40m in the United States. However, Showtime backed the Pay-Per-View battle, and the T-Mobile Arena came on board with plenty of time to spare.
The build-up to the fight was penciled in to be epic. Wilder had knowledge that had sponsors clamoring to be on board to make up the $50 million fee.
A PPV asking price of between $49.95 and $74.95 worked. But with neither Joshua nor Wilder massive stars on the paid platform, outside influencing and gate receipts made the contest make the most profit.
Wilder proved against Tyson Fury that he could generate between 800,000 and 1.3m buys, leaving AJ and his team with egg on their faces.
Add to that the Sky Sports element in the UK, which Wilder would get a cut of, and both men stood to make at least $35m (£25m) from PPVs on both sides of the Atlantic.
Throw in the gate; that would have been well enough for all. Worldwide sales, sponsorships, and more would be between $25m and $50m, depending on Nevada’s pricing.
AJ blew it
But they blew it, and they are still blowing it now. The Saudis have pulled out, meaning Vegas could be the only savior. But five years on, can they still clear that profit?
It’s highly doubtful now that both have lost two or more fights.
Wilder took the first gamble. There’s no doubt about that. He was willing to fork out $10m of his purse [taking $25m himself] to seal the chance to rule the world and secure the dream legacy he’s wanted for so long.
Five years on, though, there are no titles involved, and both are scrambling for a payday.
Initially, it was a dice roll worth taking for the outspoken American. However, Joshua refused to accept. Tyson Fury stepped in to make way more than $50m himself over three fights.
Deontay Wilder vs Anthony Joshua would have been the biggest heavyweight since Lennox Lewis vs Mike Tyson in 2002. Interest across the Atlantic would have spiked on both sides of the pond.
They blew, AJ rejected it, and everything has been downhill since. A year later, Joshua was smashed to pieces by Andy Ruiz Jr. before Wilder lost to Fury twice.
What a waste.
