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Home » Anthony Joshua $80m Deontay Wilder guarantee proven, says Frank Warren

Anthony Joshua $80m Deontay Wilder guarantee proven, says Frank Warren

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  • 3 min read

Frank Warren has backed up Dillian Whyte’s recent claim that an offer of $50 million to Anthony Joshua from Deontay Wilder was legit.

As WBN reported and revealed in a world exclusive at the time, Wilder’s team put $50 million on the table to Joshua for a Showtime Pay-Per-View clash in late 2018.

Joshua had initially made the demand in a well-publicized interview. The clip has since gone viral after the Briton reversed to turn the deal down.

Josuha gave for not accepting because he wanted home advantage and didn’t want to fight in America. Memes have been in high circulation on social media once Joshua made a complete u-turn and announced his US debut.

It’s all turned into a bit of a mess for Joshua as public support in the UK and abroad lowers because of previous statements and actions.

Wilder, co-manager Shelly Finkel, and Warren were even doubted that the offer even existed. The opposite has since been verified by several sources, including Showtime Executive Stephen Espinoza and Whyte.

WBN had also been given proof of the deal as talks were taking place.

On why Joshua is fighting Jarrell Miller and Whyte, Warren offered the following: “Obviously they didn’t want to pay Dillian Whyte the money, that is why the fight didn’t take place at Wembley. They had no alternative than to go to the States. They didn’t have an event that would sell out Wembley,” Warren told talkSPORT.

“It was them who put themselves in that position. They could have taken $50million to fight Deontay Wilder last year.

“They were offered a 50million guarantee and 30million for the rematch. I think Dillian Whyte has actually seen the paperwork as well.

“I remember I was on this program with Tony Bellew. He said it was a load of rubbish. But as has been proven, it was an offer that was made and has now been acknowledged. Even Barry Hearn said it was made.

“You can’t go on forever just putting on fights where you are putting a guy on a card and thinking it will fill up,” add the promoter on Joshua’s change of heart on a US debut.

ANTHONY JOSHUA BLOCK

All in all, Joshua’s reputation has suffered since his win over Joseph Parker. Hearn and Joshua had promised two fights in 2018.

One was Parker, and the other was Wilder. As we all now understand, there was no reason for Joshua v Wilder not to take place.

Deals with DAZN and booking Wembley obviously put blocks in the way. These are walls Team Joshua wanted to keep in place at the time.

The desire to remain the A-side and be the ones making the offers remained strong. Subsequently, it would have been nigh impossible for Hearn to lose any face in accepting the $50 million.

Bluff was well and truly called on Joshua’s demands. But it looks as though a stubbornness to accept ended up costing the unified champion a minimum of $80 million.

Added to that, upwards of $150 million with add-ons for what would have been two undisputed fights with Wilder.

One in the United States, with the UK in contention for the second clash.

Let’s hope the Wilder v Fury saga winner can eventually agree on a deal with Joshua before it’s too late.

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