Former World Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has said that Anthony Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn would not take a fight with the undefeated Deontay Wilder no matter how much money they had been offered.
Hearn said that he had sent a contract to Wilder and his management team nine days ago but had yet to hear back from him or his team regarding an update on the terms of the contract.
On Wednesday, the WBA ordered Joshua to sign for a WBA mandatory title defence against challenger Alexander Povetkin “within 24 hours” or he would have to surrender his belt.
Wilder said that he would offer Joshua $50 million to fight, an offer Hearn branded as a PR move and that he had doubts over its validity, but Fury seems to think that it’s legitimate and said on his Instagram account on Wednesday that Hearn and Joshua are afraid of the undefeated American.
“It’s a very complicated situation, or at least they’re trying to make it that way,” said Fury.
“Joshua and his team have been offered $50million, which is about £38m. A huge offer to fight anybody. You (could) offer (Joshua) any money to fight Wilder (but) they’re afraid of him.
“Wilder is all wrong for Joshua and Eddie Hearn knows that. I think it’ll happen, but Joshua will have to a couple more fights to make a few quid while he can then he’ll (Eddie Hearn) do the fight.”
Wilder’s co-manager Shelly Finkel told World Boxing News that Matchroom Boxing (Hearn’s promotion) has sent a letter saying that Joshua will not fight Wilder next but that they’ve sent out a proposed date for 2019.
“The fact is they didn’t want this fight,” said Finkel.
“He asked for 50 million dollars, never thinking we’d come up with it. When we came up with it, he said’ I don’t want to fight in the United States, I’ll take it for less in the UK’.
“He sent us a bull**** offer thinking we’ll never take it…and we took it.
“Then they said, ‘what do we do now?’ Let’s send them a contract. Except, the contract doesn’t have when the fight will be or where it will be. But today I get a letter saying; ‘We’re not going to fight you next, but we’ll fight you the fight after that…and it will be April 13th at Wembley Stadium. So basically, he can tell me next year, but he can’t tell me a date for this year.”
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