It’s not quite at Mayweather vs. Pacquiao levels but the negotiations between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are getting a little ridiculous now.
It’s been seven months since talks officially started between the camps and both Joshua and Wilder have taken to the ring against different opponents while discussions continued for the monster unification bout.
A disagreement over the purse split initially held things up but the biggest stumbling block was believed to be the location of the heavyweight showdown.
Joshua was content to accept a lesser payday in order to have the fight take place on UK shores and some headway was made last week, when Wilder agreed to travel to enemy territory for the contest.
🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨 for all you @anthonyfjoshua fans… The $50M offer for him to fight me next in the US is still available. Today I even agreed to their offer to fight Joshua next in the UK. If he prefers the fight in the UK, the ball is in their court. It’s up to them to choose. pic.twitter.com/03PE8sk5x0
— Deontay Wilder (@BronzeBomber) June 11, 2018
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn, who was in the porecess of setting up a mandatory defence between ‘AJ’ and Alexander Povetkin, moved quickly to pounce on Wilder’s apparent eagerness to get the fight done and immediately sent a contract to the American’s management team.
But a deal has yet to be signed as Wilder’s camp remains concerned over two details in the bout agreement.
“We looked at the contract on Monday and raised two specific details in the paperwork that we needed clarification of,” Wilder’s manager Shelly Finkel told World Boxing News.
“It’s frustrating as Eddie Hearn is stating in the media that we need to be quick and sign the contract, but how can we sign if they don’t respond to our email and clarify our concerns?”
Hearn, who has repeatedly accused Wilder’s team of pretending to want the fight, has rejected Finkel’s claim outright.
Not true
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) June 22, 2018
This one looks set to drag on for several more months, folks.
