Deontay Wilder accepts terms to fight Anthony Joshua

Boxing

Posted: Jun 12, 2018 | Updated: 3 years ago

Deontay Wilder accepts terms to fight Anthony Joshua in the UK.

Deontay Wilder has agreed to face Anthony Joshua in the UK, both camps have been locked in ongoing talks with Joshua’s team for several weeks, with Eddie Hearn holding a insisting that the event should happen in the UK. While negotiations appeared to a stand still, Eddie Hearn admitted last week he has also been talking to Russian Povetkin as the next potential opponent for Joshua leaving a fight between IBF, WBA and WBO champion and WBC king Wilder on the back-burner until next year.

However, news broke last night that Deontay Wilder and his camp had agreed the terms from AJ’s team and that he is willing to come to the UK to make the fight to determine the undisputed world heavyweight champion.

Deontay Wilder initially claimed that he would only put pen to paper if the fight was in the US, offering $50m (£38m) counter-offer and insisted that the offer is still available. It appears that Wilder is ready to take the challenge to the UK, after the WBC heavyweight champion took to Twitter to call out Anthony Joshua.

Shelly Finkel, Wilder’s co-manager, also told ESPN: “We have agreed to the terms that Eddie (Hearn) has put out to us for a fight in the UK.

“Deontay sent an email to Joshua on Sunday night and I sent one today to Barry Hearn and Eddie telling them that we officially accept the offer to fight under the terms they gave us and to send us the contract.”

Since Anthony Joshua defeated Joseph Parker back in March to claim the WBO title, talks have be ongoing between the two camps. While the talks had gone quiet, it was thought that Joshua could face Povetkin next. Wilder put his name back to the top of the list last night by agreeing to take the fight to the UK, this was proving a huge stumbling block and now we’ve got past that, we could well see talks moving to an advance stage now.

Deontay Wilder trainer Jay Deas says that while his fighter could earn a lot more money staging the fight in US, he suggests that it isn’t all about money and that Wilder is willing take the challenge for his “legacy”.

“They offered and we accepted. We offered $50m, which is what he said he wanted and then he turned it down”, explained Deas.

“Then they came back with a much, much, much smaller offer for Deontay, which would have been even less than Deontay would have made in the United States, and wanted him to still travel to the UK for the fight. And we said yes.

“The reason we did is because Deontay is investing in himself. He wants this for the fans and he wants this for his legacy and he knows that being the undisputed heavyweight champ of the world will give him the financial gain as he proceeds.

“Even though we would have liked a better deal, Deontay said yes.”

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