Comments Thread For: Hearn: At This Stage, I Believe Wilder Does NOT Want Joshua Fight!

[Sid-Knee]

Relationships matter. You can't expect anybody to ruin them for 1 fight.


BOTH guys have fought on Showtime recently, and it's an unspoken fact that they would be the ones handling the fight in the US. Why would anybody try to exclude them, and be sneaky about it? Wilder's not doing the fight unless it's on Showtime, and if Eddie had other plans, perhaps he should be up front about it, instead of conveniently leaving it out of the fine print, knowing it's a deal breaker?


Joshua has no "legally-binding" agreement to fight in the UK, so for $50 million, it shouldn't matter if the fight is in the US...especially since they'd be ok fighting other fighters here.

Wilder has no contract with Showtime so there shouldn't be a problem. I'm not saying Hearn wants it on the new channel because I don't know. But neither do you.

However, if it is the case that Hearn wants it there, Wilder shouldn't have a problem with that. He can go straight back to Showtime when his business with Joshua is finished with. If that's what they need to do to get the fight on, then they should. Claiming otherwise is nothing but an excuse to try and claim Wilder isn't at fault.

[Sid-Knee]

We don't know if it was a clean contract. Wilder's side needed a couple things clarified. We don't know if the clarification was to their liking or not.

Wilder's side is dealing with a promoter (Eddie) who really doesn't want this fight. So there has to be a limit to how badly they're willing to get ****ed on this deal.

Eddie is doing a great job of applying pressure by constantly threatening the Povetkin fight. He's not doing anything I wouldn't do and I'm not criticizing his tactics. I'm just pointing out what they are. The problem is AJ fans take it as an insult if you point out that Eddie is manipulating them.

Anybody in the industry would take it as a compliment. Eddie is a professional bull****ter. That's what a promoter is. In a private moment, Eddie would take everything I'm saying as huge praise.

Finkle has confirmed on world boxing news that his 2 questions have been answered. He's happy so there shouldn't be any more problems. Unless Wilder never wanted the fight in the first place and he's just trying to wriggle out of it now that the kitchen is hot.

[Ake-Dawg]

Hearn has been saying Sep won't be a go. He's looking at Oct/Nov time.

You're asking me for links but provide none yourself for what you're saying?

Finkle had 2 questions he needed answering, Hearn has answered those questions, he's confirmed on world boxing news. If there was anything wrong with the contract, Finkle would let everyone know. But he hasn't. So keep all the nonsense you have to say to yourself unless you can back it up.

Why operate on the assumption that Team Wilder would run to the media with contract issues? Particularly when those issues may be able to be negotiated still. They didn't tell us what the two issues were...but somehow they are gonna give us details BEFORE the deal is officially dead?

[Sid-Knee]

The BLUE is false...nobody is required to keep a DAZN sub longer than the month they pay for. Unless Hearn is offering a Wilder-AJ every month, I sincerely doubt few people would retain those subs in "future months" to make losing $10M worthwhile. Also, for a fight of this magnitude, I don't know why only 400,000 people would purchase it on TV, yet double that amount would purchase an app? People who have fight parties would purchase regardless, and I doubt a significant number of casual fans are going to go through the trouble of purchasing a downloading an app, they have no future use for.

I think you guys are seriously OVERESTIMATING the appeal of a $20 boxing app, in the US.


As for the RED, I guess we'll see. I don't think he's gotten much of anybody he wants...definitely not anybody that's going to justify charging $20/mo. to see.

You don't know why people would be twice as likely to purchase an app over PPV on Showtime? Erm, maybe because it's much cheaper to watch on the app than on PPV? Maybe that has something to do with it. Just a guess though.

[N/A]

Eddie is manipulating nobody.

Well that's definitely not true and if you really know that little about being a promoter, then you shouldn't make those sorts of declarations about things you know so little about. Being a promoter is all about manipulation. Every single interview Hearn does, he's doing it to manipulate the viewer into believing his narrative. Just like a politician. He's a salesman. Manipulation is one of the main criteria of the job.

Wilders people thought that the $50m offer would put them in a position of power. It didn't. It merely loosened the shackles to get an improved offer for a UK fight. Wilder is still cornered.

None of that changes the fact that Hearn's public statements are designed to mislead unsuspecting people. Many of whom post here and take Hearn's every word as the gospel. Blissfully unaware that his job is to lie to them.

I appreciate that you appreciate Hearns tactics, but to me it seems clear as day that he has offered every opportunity to Wilder to take the fight.

None of that changes whether Hearn's public statements are designed to sway and deceive the audience. You're arguing two different things. Hearn maximizing his leverage as the A-side, which we both agree he should do, doesn't change the fact that lying to the public is part of how you maximize that leverage.

[Sid-Knee]

Why operate on the assumption that Team Wilder would run to the media with contract issues? Particularly when those issues may be able to be negotiated still. They didn't tell us what the two issues were...but somehow they are gonna give us details BEFORE the deal is officially dead?

Doesn't matter now. News is Finkle has signed the contract.

[N/A]

Finkle has confirmed on world boxing news that his 2 questions have been answered. He's happy so there shouldn't be any more problems. Unless Wilder never wanted the fight in the first place and he's just trying to wriggle out of it now that the kitchen is hot.

That article was posted today and I hadn't read it until now. So if Finkel is now saying they're willing to sign once they know the date and venue, I'm sure he'll keep his word if there aren't any last second tricks. Every step of the way, Wilder's side have shown they really want this fight. As they should.

And every step of the way, AJ's side has shown they don't really want the fight, but they'll reluctantly take it if the deal is overwhelmingly in AJ's favor. As they should. He's the A-side and he's not going to take the biggest risk possible unless the deal is so good it's impossible to say no to.

Everybody is doing what is in their best interest. As they should. The only issue here is that AJ's fans believe everything Hearn says, even though Hearn is a compulsive liar (as he should be, his profession is being a boxing promoter).

[BoZz]

If it wasn't for Wilder we wouldn't even know AJ existed, that guy beat 41 year old klitschko since then he struggled with c level fighters. I'm not a fan of either man but you gotta be ******ed to believe joshua wants anything to do with Wilder. UK fans are the only ones who believe this idiots hearn, just like they believe that hatton would beat floyd

[kafkod]

the same can be said about wilder offering 50mil, this fight isn't happening next imo, I think they are hyping it and pulling our legs at this point, its working

This is why I think both teams are in on it. I really do think they are both hyping it up and pushing it up to maximise it. They both knew that this fight makes more money for both if it happens later than next.

I'm starting to think they must be working this together - building up the drama. But Povetkin is a real threat .. and not just to AJ, but to Wilder too. I don't think either side will want to risk losing that big payday by allowing Povetkin a chance to beat AJ and ruin their plans.

I think Hearn will be on the hotline to Haymon as soon as the WBA give AJ final his deadline, and Wilder will sign that contract pronto!

[Sid-Knee]

Why operate on the assumption that Team Wilder would run to the media with contract issues? Particularly when those issues may be able to be negotiated still. They didn't tell us what the two issues were...but somehow they are gonna give us details BEFORE the deal is officially dead?

Because Wilder and Finkle were happy to go to the press any other time. This would be no different.

Anyway, it seems the contract has been signed.