Eddie Hearn, promoter for IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, says that he wants to enter into a deal with WBC champion Tyson Fury with a clean slate.
Right now Fury is contractually obligated to move forward with a trilogy fight against Deontay Wilder.
And Joshua is contracted to make a mandatory defense against Kubrat Pulev.
There has been constant talk that Wilder would accept a step-aside to partially pave the way for a unification showdown between Joshua and Fury.
Fury's co-promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, recently rejected the rumors that Wilder ever requested a step-aside fee or even mentioned the possibility.
Hearn is not really in favor of that step-aside scenario - because the deal would have to guarantee Wilder a fight with the winner of Fury-Joshua.
At this point, he would rather have both champions make their defenses - and then come together for a two-fight agreement in 2021.
"I think Bob Arum said in an interview at the weekend where he said he doesn’t know where this number [of $10 million] has come from. He’s said in interviews he won’t step aside and with everything happening in terms of the uncertainty over the future of the world, let alone boxing, he’s not going to want to step aside," Hearn said to IFL TV.
"We also don’t want to enter into a deal where we say, 'Oh when we beat Tyson Fury, we have to face Deontay Wilder and he has to get 40%.' Deontay Wilder is out. He’s done. He’s just a voluntary challenger. We want a clean slate when we enter into a deal. Whether it’s a one-fight deal with Tyson or a two-fight deal but when AJ beats Tyson Fury we don’t want an obligation to fight Deontay Wilder. What’s he got to do with it?
"He’s done. He’s beaten. He’s just been knocked out. If he beats Tyson Fury then we want to fight Deontay Wilder but if he doesn’t, he’s just back into the rankings. He’s not coming into a fight with the undisputed champion. So in that respect it’s a lot easier for us just to have a clean slate and everybody is on the same page with that as well."