By Vadim Pushkin

Negotiations for a mandatory fight between WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (35-0, 34KOs) and Olympic gold medal winner Alexander Povetkin (30-1, 22KOs) are going well, according to the Russian contender's promoter Andrei Ryabinsky of World of Boxing.

Wilder must first get through his voluntary defense on January 16th against Polish contender Artur Szpilka at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Povetkin and Ryabinsky are potentially going to sit ringside for the contest. Both men plan to be there. 

Povetkin stopped Mariusz Wach in the twelfth round last month and plans to wait for the Wilder fight. The WBC will officially order the negotiations upon the conclusion of Wilder's fight with Szpilka.

If they do not agree on the money and location, a purse bid will be ordered.

"The negotiations have just begun. January 16, Sasha and I will visit the Wilder fight, and I will continue these talks at the final stage. Right now in America, we have our emissaries and they have spent some time with the negotiations. We are not opposed to this fight taking place in America, but the main thing is that's it well done... the fight is promoted with some large investments in it, so that the entire world is watching, because both Povetkin and Wilder deserve that," Ryabinsky told championot.

"Separately, we will discuss the [the money]. The second scenario - purse bids. Then either I [secure the promotional rights] at a high price and stage the event in Moscow, Grozny or somewhere else, or they purchase [the rights] at a high price and stage it in America - and in this case we are going to get good money for it. I prefer the first option, where we reach an agreement. I do not anticipate any problems [in reaching a deal], because they are constructive and nice guys."