Anthony Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder was targeted for Saudi Arabia at the beginning of 2024 but the fight now looks to be in jeopardy.
Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing and promoter of Anthony Joshua has claimed that negotiations for the fight to be held in Saudi Arabia have now stalled. Saudi Arabia is currently undergoing a changing of the guard as far as hosting sporting events within the country. Hearn has worked with the previous regime in the past for the Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz rematch, although the promoter is yet to negotiate with the new players in town.
Hearn is hoping to proceed as planned. He has reached out to the Saudis in the hope of negotiating a deal. Despite his continued hopes, Hearn has also insisted that if the fight doesn’t happen in Saudi Arabia then they may choose to proceed elsewhere.
Eddie Hearn on Anthony Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder
Speaking with Boxing King Media on their YouTube channel, Hearn said, “We’ve agreed terms for Joshua vs. Wilder but until we receive a contract, the fight’s not happening.”
He continued, “It doesn’t just have to happen in Saudi Arabia. There are now other talks about other countries that it could take part in. It’s one of the biggest fights in heavyweight boxing.”
Hearn didn’t rule out a fight toward the end of the year for ‘AJ’. “If we don’t get that sorted soon, you’ll probably see AJ fight in December. At a level above where he’s been fighting. He wants to stay active.”
When asked for a list of potential opponents for the British heavyweight, Hearn mentioned former foe Andy Ruiz Jr and Filip Hrgovic. Hearn stated that in all likelihood, ‘AJ’ would fight outside of the UK following his last two fights taking place on home turf.
Despite ‘AJ’ clearly having other options on the table, Hearn remains optimistic that they can reach a deal for the Wilder fight. Insisting “That is the fight we want and we hope it still happens.”
Quotes are to be credited to www.combatsportsuk.co.uk. They were transcribed from Boxing King Media‘s interview with Eddie Hearn.
What Are the Chances?
Eddie Hearn’s comments on this potential blockbuster of a matchup will not come as a shock to the boxing world. Many fans have remained doubtful that this event could come together. So fans around the world will not be shocked to see the fight go up in smoke.
Joshua vs. Wilder has been a mouth-watering fight that has been touted for years to no avail. Promoters and management teams have made bold public claims and called each other’s bluffs. Both parties have laid blame at the other’s doorstep as to why the fight was not being made.
Since the initial negotiations, ‘AJ’ has had quite the fall from grace. With his avenged loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. followed by back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk. The former unified world champion has had to go away and rebuild but picked up big wins his last 2 times out. Wilder, has also had his setbacks. A controversial draw to a returning Tyson Fury, which many felt he lost. Then followed two stoppage defeats to the ‘Gypsy King’.
Regardless of their falls from power and relinquishing their heavyweight titles, ‘AJ’ remains a popular figure within the sport. Whilst Wilder’s ability to knock any man out in the blink of an eye makes him a must-see attraction.
A betting man would likely have put his house, heart, and soul on the fight not being finalized. That’s right, because that just wouldn’t have been boxing. Boxing fans are a sceptical bunch and rightly so…
As the Joshua vs. Wilder fight slips through our fingers, once more.
How do you feel about Joshua vs. Wilder potentially being in jeopardy? Does it surprise you at all? Let us know in the comments below
Featured Image Credit to Embed from Getty Images and Embed from Getty Images
