Joshua v. Wilder is simple

I think you are incorrect. The difference in negotiations between Parker and Wilder stemmed from the fact that Team Parker at least started at 40-60. That is a significant difference, considering Parker and Wilder are comparable earners. I think Hearn was willing to negotiate the fight, but after two meetings in the US, and then for Wilder to come out and say 50-50 or no fight is not a good position to take and in fairness Hearn probably felt like they had wasted his time. Hearn has only recently come out about Miller and that is probably because they have agreed financial terms, I'm imagining it wasn't hard, Miller is probably getting well into 7 figures and probably less than 20% of the share. Also Hearns exact words were "If we don't get Wilder" we have a green light to make Joshua-Miller at the Barclays. It could also be a message to Team Wilder that "Hey, we are willing to move on if you are going to be a penis, so get real". I don't think Wilder is bad at all, I think he's a problem. It works in Joshua's favour to hold the fight off, who is in a much more embryonic stage of his title run compared to Wilder who is peaking. Having said that, I think Team Joshua are confident they can beat any of these guys today, but there would be less risk if Joshua gained more experience, ironed out the wrinkles over 3 or 4 more fights/training camps. No way do I think there is extra special fear in Team Joshua for that fight over say a Fury fight, or even Parker. I think they see all of these as big fights, dangerous fights, but also opportunities to prove they are the best. I think some of you guys perceive the situation as Joshua or Hearn fear him because that is the perception Wilder has created, and Joshua is not really a talker. I feel like Wilder is doing all the talking, he is also the one being awkward in the negotiations, and somehow some of you are trying to blame Joshua for avoiding! If you consider that Sky are buying all of Wilder's fights, and have Wilder on the broadcast team for Joshua-Parker, these are not the kind of things you do it you are protecting your cash cow from a fighter. I think the fight happens when either Wilder gets real with his demands and/or becomes a ppv fighter in the US. We agree Wilder doesn't deserve 50/50. Where we don't agree is whether his initial offer should in some way prevent or derail negotiations. IMO it shouldn't. AJ wants to fight Parker because its an easier fight than Wilder. Huge payday for AJ. I get that. So he was willing to negotiate even though they felt the initial offer from Parker was ridiculous. With Wilder, there doesn't seem to be the same desire to negotiate. Fair points about Sky. That said, if Joshua goes to HBO you know the likely 3 fights are Miller, whyte rematch and Fury ( and who would blame him with all the cash he would get). I don't think the talk has anything to do with it. I think Team AJ "fears" or better yet "respects" Wilder's power and the impact it could have on derailing future plans for AJ. I agree he is trying to get better. I just think that is avoiding Wilder. Yes, there are sound financial and professional reasons for AJ to avoid WIlder and delay the fight, but its avoidance nonetheless

No one rational is saying Joshua is ducking. That said, you can't pretend he looks as gung ho about fighting Wilder as he does Jarrell Miller, despite him being better than Wilder by a good bit. Maybe some of you guys over in the UK can just admit that as bad as Wilder is, his 1 punch KO power has Hearn and AJ very concerned given how many shots AJ took against Wlad and Takam. Only way AJ doesn't become the face of the sport is if Deontay lands on that chin and AJ don't get up. I think you are incorrect. The difference in negotiations between Parker and Wilder stemmed from the fact that Team Parker at least started at 40-60. That is a significant difference, considering Parker and Wilder are comparable earners. I think Hearn was willing to negotiate the fight, but after two meetings in the US, and then for Wilder to come out and say 50-50 or no fight is not a good position to take and in fairness Hearn probably felt like they had wasted his time. Hearn has only recently come out about Miller and that is probably because they have agreed financial terms, I'm imagining it wasn't hard, Miller is probably getting well into 7 figures and probably less than 20% of the share. Also Hearns exact words were "If we don't get Wilder" we have a green light to make Joshua-Miller at the Barclays. It could also be a message to Team Wilder that "Hey, we are willing to move on if you are going to be a penis, so get real". I don't think Wilder is bad at all, I think he's a problem. It works in Joshua's favour to hold the fight off, who is in a much more embryonic stage of his title run compared to Wilder who is peaking. Having said that, I think Team Joshua are confident they can beat any of these guys today, but there would be less risk if Joshua gained more experience, ironed out the wrinkles over 3 or 4 more fights/training camps. No way do I think there is extra special fear in Team Joshua for that fight over say a Fury fight, or even Parker. I think they see all of these as big fights, dangerous fights, but also opportunities to prove they are the best. I think some of you guys perceive the situation as Joshua or Hearn fear him because that is the perception Wilder has created, and Joshua is not really a talker. I feel like Wilder is doing all the talking, he is also the one being awkward in the negotiations, and somehow some of you are trying to blame Joshua for avoiding! If you consider that Sky are buying all of Wilder's fights, and have Wilder on the broadcast team for Joshua-Parker, these are not the kind of things you do it you are protecting your cash cow from a fighter. I think the fight happens when either Wilder gets real with his demands and/or becomes a ppv fighter in the US.

The fight is going to happen This 'Joshua is ducking Wilder' is embarrassing on the part of the people who think that. Have a good look at yourselves.. Sky have been building this fight up for a while. Wilder beating Ortiz was on the front page of BBC Sport, again highlighting how the British sports media are gearing up for it. Then again, its mostly the uninformed American crowd spewing such things out, in the name of blind and uneducated nationalism. Wilder should be willing to accept no more than 40%, with the fight taking place at Wembley Stadium. Hearn will be the lead promoter. Whether the fight ends up on HBO or Showtime is up to Hearn, as Wilder does not have enough pull to demand anything beyond a fairly decent split (unless he trades it away for something else) No one rational is saying Joshua is ducking. That said, you can't pretend he looks as gung ho about fighting Wilder as he does Jarrell Miller, despite him being better than Wilder by a good bit. Maybe some of you guys over in the UK can just admit that as bad as Wilder is, his 1 punch KO power has Hearn and AJ very concerned given how many shots AJ took against Wlad and Takam. Only way AJ doesn't become the face of the sport is if Deontay lands on that chin and AJ don't get up.

Really? Wilder has only just obtained a feather in his cap, in terms of resume. Joshua is about to fight for his 3rd belt. Let the Joshua-Parker fight take place first, and then observe the negotiations going forward. Why would they be negotiating now when he has a fight coming up? At the end of the day, 1 punch can end a fight at HW, so there's no use for Hearn being complacent. Making such conclusions when there really hasn't been a prime time for negotiations (for the Undisputed Championship, with Wilder having an actual noteworthy win) is pretty silly.. You'd have a valid point about negotiating except they have been with Miller according to multiple sources. I agree with your point about 1 punch-which seems to be why the Wilder fight isn't next seeing as IMO AJ is better in every way. With all due respect, I made no conclusions. I made a point based on the facts as we know them. I just want the fight next, as do many people. It appears that Miller is next which is something we should all be upset about.

You are asking (without actually asking) Wilder's Team to put out a lower number just to appease AJ. You wouldn't do that so don't ask Wilder to. We agree AJ is the draw and A side. But its silly to think anyone would undervalue themselves. what pro athlete do you know that comes in with a low contract request offer? None!! they ask for more than they are worth. They get an offer lower than their worth. then they settle on a number. So negotiate with yourself without a response from AJ to the 50/50 offer? Seriously Robbie you are just being silly for silly's sake. No one in their right mind would devalue themselves in that fashion. No one is asking Aj to accept that offer to prove he wants to fight Wilder. I am saying RESPOND to the offer to show you want the fight. Same they did with Parker. Question-why the difference in tactics between Parker and Wilder? Really? Wilder has only just obtained a feather in his cap, in terms of resume. Joshua is about to fight for his 3rd belt. Let the Joshua-Parker fight take place first, and then observe the negotiations going forward. Why would they be negotiating now when he has a fight coming up? At the end of the day, 1 punch can end a fight at HW, so there's no use for Hearn being complacent. Making such conclusions when there really hasn't been a prime time for negotiations (for the Undisputed Championship, with Wilder having an actual noteworthy win) is pretty silly..

The fight is going to happen This 'Joshua is ducking Wilder' is embarrassing on the part of the people who think that. Have a good look at yourselves.. Sky have been building this fight up for a while. Wilder beating Ortiz was on the front page of BBC Sport, again highlighting how the British sports media are gearing up for it. Then again, its mostly the uninformed American crowd spewing such things out, in the name of blind and uneducated nationalism. Wilder should be willing to accept no more than 40%, with the fight taking place at Wembley Stadium. Hearn will be the lead promoter. Whether the fight ends up on HBO or Showtime is up to Hearn, as Wilder does not have enough pull to demand anything beyond a fairly decent split (unless he trades it away for something else) Nail on the head. Sums this forum up.

The fight is going to happen This 'Joshua is ducking Wilder' is embarrassing on the part of the people who think that. Have a good look at yourselves.. Sky have been building this fight up for a while. Wilder beating Ortiz was on the front page of BBC Sport, again highlighting how the British sports media are gearing up for it. Then again, its mostly the uninformed American crowd spewing such things out, in the name of blind and uneducated nationalism. Wilder should be willing to accept no more than 40%, with the fight taking place at Wembley Stadium. Hearn will be the lead promoter. Whether the fight ends up on HBO or Showtime is up to Hearn, as Wilder does not have enough pull to demand anything beyond a fairly decent split (unless he trades it away for something else)

I think there's a power play going on. Wilder needs the fight more than AJ, so Hearn is content to leave the ball in their court and in the process show just where the power lies in this relationship. Either they make contact, withdraw Wilder's 50/50 demand in favour of something more realistic and in the process show their weakness, or the fight doesn't get made. That doesn't bother Hearn much because the longer the fight is delayed the greater the return when it happens and the greater the potential for engaging the lucrative US PPV market. It doesn't affect AJ either, he has plenty of lucrative fights he can pursue. He and Eddie H can and have mapped out a set of fights which take in a mandatory against Povektin, a first look at the US market via Miller and then potentially the most lucrative of them all Fury, whilst Wilder looks on impotently from afar. He can't even be sure of getting the best opposition, because every other HW in the division would drop everything to get a shot at AJ and a career best payday. Wilder however can't offer them a fifth as much and obviously he's a risk to their careers in the process. Plus he's 32 and can't afford to wait forever as he's unlikely to improve further and indeed may begin to lose the physical edge. Whereas AJ with 20 fewer pro fights is still learning and is yet to reach his peak. A couple more fights against say Povetkin and Miller may help him hone his skills. So like I say, a power play. Hearn is waiting for Finkel and Wilder to blink. They're hoping to raise the pressure to get the fight made. Unless of course there's an agreement behind closed doors and all of this is a pantomime to keep us chatting about it in the run-up to it being announced. Great post! I agree. I get what AJ is doing. HBO will give him anything to keep him away from SHO and derail their plans for Wilder/Joshua huge fight. Hearn is using that to get some of his guys HBO dates. Coll thats the smart business play. I just don't like Robbie pretending the offer is what is causing AJ to not fight. Thats ridiculous.

AJ is focussing on the UNIFICATION fight he has against Parker end of the month, remember?

Wilders offer was 50/50 or no fight. We got no fight. They waited for Hearn to do it and then made a ridiculous demand pricing Wilder out. If Wilder is chasing like you claim why hasn't his team contacted Hearn once to try and make the fight? They know they aren't getting 50/50 so why aren't they making another request? They don't want the fight. You can't claim a fighter is avoiding when the offer is so ridiculous nobody in the world expects Joshua to accept it. You are asking (without actually asking) Wilder's Team to put out a lower number just to appease AJ. You wouldn't do that so don't ask Wilder to. We agree AJ is the draw and A side. But its silly to think anyone would undervalue themselves. what pro athlete do you know that comes in with a low contract request offer? None!! they ask for more than they are worth. They get an offer lower than their worth. then they settle on a number. So negotiate with yourself without a response from AJ to the 50/50 offer? Seriously Robbie you are just being silly for silly's sake. No one in their right mind would devalue themselves in that fashion. No one is asking Aj to accept that offer to prove he wants to fight Wilder. I am saying RESPOND to the offer to show you want the fight. Same they did with Parker. Question-why the difference in tactics between Parker and Wilder?

lol are we criticising people for post fight interviews that havent even happened yet, NSB?

I'm not going to even bother with you, you obviously haven't got a clue what you're talking about. :rofl::rofl::rofl:

I doubt that very much with how flat out wrong your post was. We'll see when that fight gets made and made in the US.

he is avoiding if Hearn hasn't gotten back to Finkel. he is avoiding by making it known he is going to fight Jarrell Miller next. I think there's a power play going on. Wilder needs the fight more than AJ, so Hearn is content to leave the ball in their court and in the process show just where the power lies in this relationship. Either they make contact, withdraw Wilder's 50/50 demand in favour of something more realistic and in the process show their weakness, or the fight doesn't get made. That doesn't bother Hearn much because the longer the fight is delayed the greater the return when it happens and the greater the potential for engaging the lucrative US PPV market. It doesn't affect AJ either, he has plenty of lucrative fights he can pursue. He and Eddie H can and have mapped out a set of fights which take in a mandatory against Povektin, a first look at the US market via Miller and then potentially the most lucrative of them all Fury, whilst Wilder looks on impotently from afar. He can't even be sure of getting the best opposition, because every other HW in the division would drop everything to get a shot at AJ and a career best payday. Wilder however can't offer them a fifth as much and obviously he's a risk to their careers in the process. Plus he's 32 and can't afford to wait forever as he's unlikely to improve further and indeed may begin to lose the physical edge. Whereas AJ with 20 fewer pro fights is still learning and is yet to reach his peak. A couple more fights against say Povetkin and Miller may help him hone his skills. So like I say, a power play. Hearn is waiting for Finkel and Wilder to blink. They're hoping to raise the pressure to get the fight made. Unless of course there's an agreement behind closed doors and all of this is a pantomime to keep us chatting about it in the run-up to it being announced.

I'm not going to even bother with you, you obviously haven't got a clue what you're talking about. Sure buddy... the one who has no clue is you. Unlike you, I know people in the business.

robbie...stop acting like a delusional retard it doesnt matter what wilder says he wants or what he says at all hearn is the one that needs to approach wilders side to start the fight....until hearn is going to make a serious offer what wilder says or anything else means NOTHING anyone with common sense knows this....hearn needs to make an offer....but when it comes up he talks circles and makes a parker fight...hell talk circles again and talk about miller in BK or something....

Hearn said months ago he ended negotiations because Wilder wanted 50/50. This isn't new. If Wilder wants the fight why doesn't his team contact Hearn and ask for a reasonable split? Joshua taking whatever deal he likes in America isn't avoiding. Asking him to make business decisions in hope Wilder finds his nuts is retarded. Wilder isn't even signed to Showtime, so it wouldn't be a problem anyway. UNTIL WILDER MAKES A REASONABLE SPLIT REQUEST THE BLAME IS ON HIM FOR THE FIGHT NOT HAPPENING. Robbie, he isn't going to ask for less on his 1st offer. LOL. He is going to do what anyone would-ask for the most you likely can get and wait until the counteroffer-which, according to Finkel, never came. You can't reasonably feel Team Wilder asking for 50/50 is what shut down negotiations. Wilder has clearly established himself as the #2 HWT in the world. That is the fight we all want next. I thought he was signed to SHO. Maybe not. I gotta check on that. GTFOH. That is ridiculous. An offer was made, there was no response. Team AJ wasn't happy with the number Parker initially wanted (I see a pattern developing hmm???). He negotiated with Parker and they got the fight done. Why does Wilder has to make an offer that eliminates any negotiation? That isn't reasonable. Respond to the 50/50 offer, negotiate a deal, get the fight done.

How is he avoiding? Wilder isn't even chasing. The only side that contacted the other was Joshua and Wilder wanted a 50/50 split. Nobody can claim Joshua is ducking with ridiculous demands like that. If Wilder makes a reasonable split request and Joshua walks away then you'll have a case for Joshua ducking, until then it's all Wilder. But why would Wilder give Hearn and AJ a bigger split if the fight is made in the US? IF the fight is made in the UK than it understandable and Wilder has already said he take whatever split is offered only if AJ agrees to the same split if there's rematch after Wilder beats him. A fight in the US makes way more money because Wilder will provide something other AJ opponents haven't, and that's US PPV revenue. So Wilder should just concede that to them and let them keep all the US and UK PPV money?

How is he avoiding? Wilder isn't even chasing. The only side that contacted the other was Joshua and Wilder wanted a 50/50 split. Nobody can claim Joshua is ducking with ridiculous demands like that. If Wilder makes a reasonable split request and Joshua walks away then you'll have a case for Joshua ducking, until then it's all Wilder. he is avoiding if Hearn hasn't gotten back to Finkel. he is avoiding by making it known he is going to fight Jarrell Miller next. He is avoiding if he signs a network exclusive HBO deal knowing that it would delay the Wilder fight until that deal is up (which again he has every right to take to make as much as possible). I didn't use the word duck. Finkel made it clear Hearn didn't respond on the possible money the fight would generate. I do agree Wilder shouldn't get a 50/50 split, but he asked for that (as anyone would) and Hearn/ AJ haven't responded IF Finkel is to be believed. That isn't Wilder.

No you stop it. The fight doesn't happen until Wilder is reasonable. Joshua isn't going to make decisions hoping Wilder finds his nuts. I heard Wilder isn't even signed to Showtime, so stop with that lame excuse. The ball is in Wilders court. If he asks for a reasonable split Joshua/Hearn will have nowhere to go. Until that happens Wilder is the one ducking. Hey I'm on record as saying AJ is better and the unquestioned draw. I'm on record as saying AJ can choose here or England as the unquestioned A side. However, you can't deny the optics are bad on this. He looks to be avoiding a guy 95% of us think he will defeat and fairly easy to fight Jarrel Miller next. Shelly Finkel also pulled Hearns card with that statement on Sat night. Hearn looks to be doing everything but trying to make the fight we all want. Just make the fight!