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With all the "he said, she said" going on with these negotiations, I think a timeline documenting the negotiations may be in order. Excuse me if this has already been done. This is admittedly a partial list. If anyone would like something added that is pertinent to THIS negotiation, simply state your case, post the info, including a link to the original source. If it is a credible source, it will be added in sequence.
Nov. 2017
Finkel closed the post-fight press conference by reading out an email from Hearn he received in November. ‘I have an email here, dated November 29, it was the evening of the day I met Eddie Hearn’s father,’ Finkel said. ‘He said at the meeting: ‘I think we could do bigger business in Las Vegas, because I can bring over 20,000 Brits who can spend more money just like they did for Ricky Hatton.’
‘I said: ‘Fine. Put the numbers together, we’re ready to make a deal.’ ‘I got a letter, and I’ll quote it from Eddie: ‘Glad you had a good chinwag with the old man,’ you know that’s from him, that’s not the language we speak here. ‘I will get the respective sales profit-loss this week to you for discussion,’ meaning what we would make in the UK and what we’d make in Vegas. ‘All the best, Eddie.’
‘I have never heard from him since. The bottom line is, if someone wants a fight, it gets made. I know, no matter what is said, he [Joshua] doesn’t want the fight.’
April 6, 2018
"The WBA called the mandatory yesterday for AJ to face Povetkin next," promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports. "We have a 30 day window to negotiate -- at this stage it means it's very likely Anthony's next fight will be between [Deontay] Wilder or Povetkin."
http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/i...ander-povetkin
April 11, 2018
Deontay Wilder seems set to turn down the £8.8million offer to fight Anthony Joshua.
The WBC champion has received a fight contract from Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn, but it is believed the offer falls well short of Wilder’s expectations. Hearn insisted if Wilder’s team was to reject the latest offer, then Joshua would move on to finalising a deal to face WBA mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin.
Wilder’s team, which includes Shelly Finkel, have already said they will accept any contract that is ‘within reason’ and are prepared to do whatever it takes to make the unification showdown with Joshua happen. But the response from Finkel suggests the Wilder team is not happy with the offer on the table. He said: ‘No comment at all. We’re preparing a response.’
Promoter Lou DiBella, another member of Wilder’s team, was far less coy in his response to Joshua, insisting the deal proved the Brit doesn’t actually want the fight. ‘If you’re going to make an offer that insults Deontay Wilder, it’s obvious Eddie doesn’t want the fight right now,’ he said. Hearn has already insisted the AJ team will not be returning with an improved offer.
May 22, 2018
Anthony Joshua is ready to turn down a £37million offer to fight Deontay Wilder in the USA by insisting their world heavyweight unification bout takes place in the United Kingdom.
Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, told Telegraph Sport that a final decision over the staging of the fight will be finalised in the next three weeks. But Hearn said that Joshua, holder of the WBO, IBF and WBA titles, should be allowed to have home advantage against Wilder, of Alabama, who holds the WBC crown.
Joshua is prepared to take a pay cut of more than £7m to fight in front of his home fans. Wembley Stadium, Twickenham Stadium and even the Olympic Stadium are three possible venues for the blockbuster contest to take place, with the preference being for an outdoor venue to stage the fight in September.
"One thing is for absolute certain, AJ wants Wilder next," Hearn said. "He’s made that clear. He also feels though, after talking to Rob McCracken, his trainer and manager, that this is a fight that should be delivered in the UK. One for the fans and two, he feels like he’s earned that right."
Joshua has been offered a baseline of $50m (£37m) to face Wilder in America by the WBC champion's team, but Hearn insisted: "AJ’s not really swayed by an extra £10m or £15m. He’d rather do the fight over here in front of his fans.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/boxing/2...der-us-insist/
June 12, 2018 added courtesy of juggernaut666
DEONTAY WILDER has cranked up the pressure on Anthony Joshua after publicly accepting the Briton’s offer to fight in the UK this year, just days after promoter Eddie Hearn suggested Alexander Povetkin now looked likely to face AJ next.
Negotiations between the two heavyweight champions have been ongoing since Joshua defeated Joseph Parker in March, adding the WBO belt to his IBF, WBA and IBO titles.
But in recent weeks, talks appeared to have stalled with the two parties at loggerheads over where the fight should take place; Wilder had previously offered Joshua $50m (£37m) to travel to the US for the undisputed heavyweight showdown but the 28-year-old Olympic gold medallist has been adamant the fight should take place in the UK.
Speaking to his Twitter followers today however, Wilder said he would agree to AJ’s terms to defend his WBC title in the UK this year, writing: “Breaking news for all you Anthony Joshua fans... The $50m offer for him to fight me next in the US is still available.
"Today I even agreed to their offer to fight Joshua next in the UK. If he prefers the fight in the UK, the ball is in their court. It's up to them to choose."
Wilder’s manager, Shelly Finkel, echoed his fighters’s words, telling ESPN: "We have agreed to the terms that Eddie [Hearn] has put out to us for a fight in the UK.
"Deontay sent an email to Joshua on Sunday night and I sent one today to Barry Hearn and Eddie telling them that we officially accept the offer to fight under the terms they gave us and to send us the contract."
Earlier this month, Finkel met with Matchroom founder Barry Hearn in New York in an attempt to salvage the fight as WBA mandatory challenger Povetkin looked an increasingly likely prospect.
But Finkel said he hoped this latest breakthrough would sway talks back towards 32-year-old Wilder.
He added: ”If they change their mind, the $50 million [against 50 per cent of the event] we offered them [to come to the United States] is still on the table. That is still for them if they want it.
"There's no [percentage] split, but they've offered us a good purse. Not as good as we feel it should be, but we want the fight and we're willing to take what they offered.
"We wanted a percentage, but we didn't think we could get it done in a quick time frame, so we said let's take what they've offered us. Deontay wants this fight."
June 26, 2018
Finkel also said their side wants the fight and has accepted the financial terms Hearn laid out in his counter offer, as well as agreeing to fight Joshua in the United Kingdom, his home country. Hearn's last public offer to Wilder was a flat fee of $15 million, an increase over his previous offer of $12.5 million.
"I want to make it clear that Deontay Wilder wants this fight more than Anthony Joshua does, which is evidenced by the fact that Wilder accepted a flat purse for this fight, which is unheard of for a fight of this magnitude," Finkel said. "He also has accepted to fight Anthony Joshua in the U.K., while Anthony Joshua did not accept a $50 million offer, which Joshua originally asked for, plus a percentage (of the profits) to fight Wilder in the U.S.
"Eddie thinks I dislike him. He is wrong. I just have a difference of opinion with him of what a fact is. When I state something is a fact, I have written proof to back it up. I dare Eddie to do the same."
It is highly unusual for a fighter to accept a flat fee rather than percentage of the revenue for an event that figures to be as massive as Joshua-Wilder. It looms as a nine-figure, worldwide event and one of the two biggest fights in boxing along with the Sept. 15 rematch between unified middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez. Finkel said their side accepted the terms of the agreement on June 11 and asked Hearn to send a long-form contract.
"This took Matchroom by surprise never thinking that Wilder would accept their below-market offer," Finkel said. "Shortly after, Eddie Hearn went public saying that we would receive a contract by Friday, June 15th, when in fact we did not receive a contract until late on Monday, June 18th. On Tuesday June 19th, we requested a clarification of two points. They did not respond. I requested them again on Thursday, June 21st, and we finally received a response on Friday, June 22nd.
"Two days later, on Sunday, June 24th, I sent them a letter acknowledging Eddie's email of June 22, telling them they would have the contract back by Friday, June 29th. Since the contract did not state the date or the venue, I also asked for that information. These are the facts and Matchroom will have the contracts back to them by Friday, June 29th."
Finkel said it will then be up to Hearn to address the issues he pointed out.
http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/i...anthony-joshua
June 26, 2018
Anthony Joshua was ordered to sign a deal to fight Alexander Povetkin "within 24 hours" or face being stripped of the WBA portion of his world heavyweight boxing titles.
The WBA lost patience with the talks between Joshua and WBC champion Deontay Wilder for a unification bout, and want Joshua to fight its mandatory challenger from Russia.
WBA president Gilberto Mendoza said on Tuesday in a statement: "The WBA have allowed over a month extension to negotiations with Povetkin and also ongoing discussions with Deontay Wilder.
"It appears the Wilder team have not returned the contract for the fight and therefore we are requesting a date for the Joshua versus Povetkin fight with immediate effect."
There seemed no choice for Joshua (21-0, 20 KO).
His promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports on Tuesday they will not relinquish the WBA belt to wait for Wilder. Joshua owns three of the big four belts, and aims to become the first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis in 2000. His WBA and IBF belts were joined by the WBO version he relieved from Joseph Parker in March.
"We're not going to lose a belt to the WBA through ordering a mandatory," Hearn said. "If Povetkin is ready to go then that will be next. It will be in September, and then we fight Wilder straight after, if he signs a contract."
The WBA originally gave the promoters of Joshua and Povetkin until May 5 to reach an agreement then extended the deadline twice because of a potential deal with Wilder.
Hearn said they gave Wilder's team a contract nine days ago, and their reaction didn't come until Sunday, when they proposed to offer comments this Friday.
"They know we're under pressure from the WBA and it all feels like a big game," Hearn said.
"We have to get on with our business. If Povetkin is ready to sign a contract then he's next. Conversations and negotiations will continue with Deontay Wilder and we'll sign that contract at any moment.
http://www.espn.com/espn/wire/_/sect...ng/id/23911009
June 30, 2018
DEONTAY WILDER has turned down the chance to face Anthony Joshua next year in April, telling Eddie Hearn he is not interested in the £15.21million offer presented to him.
Hearn recently offered Wilder a two-fight deal, £3.8m to fight at the end of this year against anyone the American likes, then £11.4m to face Joshua in April 2019.
But the Bronze Bomber has come back and told the promoter he is not interested.
Wilder said in response to the $20m offer: “Nah I’m good you can kumbaya it, go help those in need.
He also took a swipe a Hearn's new online platform DAZN, which he called "trash" and claimed "no top US fighter" would sign up for the streaming service.
The 32-year-old said: "You got that new boxing app deznuts right! Man use it on that!
"You’ll need it to pay back all the money they loaned you, no top US fighter is signing, that s***'s trash.
"Besides why would anyone sign with you? You purposely avoided."
He finished by reiterating his initial offer to Hearn for the Joshua fight.
Calling the promoter a "disease to the sport", he said: “$50M up front with 50 per cent split deal for your biggest client."
July 12, 2018
The contract for the fight between Anthony Joshua and Alexander Povetkin has not yet been signed. This was announced by the head of the company "World of Boxing" Andrey Ryabinsky. On Wednesday, Sky Sports reported that the boxers will fight on September 22 in London.
"We are in negotiations," Ryabinsky said. "The contract has not yet been signed. London is the main option."
July 16, 2018
Anthony Joshua will fight Alexander Povetkin on September 22 at Wembley for the WBA Super, IBF, WBO and IBO Heavyweight World titles.
"I can’t wait to get back in the ring, the end of March feels a long time ago now,” said Joshua . “Povetkin is a serious challenge that I will prepare meticulously for. He has serious pedigree and only a fool would underestimate what he brings to the table.
“Training hasn’t stopped for me, but the next 10 weeks ahead will be intense both mentally and physically. I will push myself to breaking point to make sure I am in peak condition for another huge night for British boxing at Wembley Stadium on September 22nd.”
Povetkin is confident of causing the upset after brutally knocking out David Price in his last outing.
July 31, 2018
ANTHONY JOSHUA has been blasted by Deontay Wilder’s manager Shelly Finkel for sending a “bulls***” contract.
Joshua and Wilder had been hoping to lock horns later this year but talks broke down after the WBA ordered the Brit to fight mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin.
A date of April 13, 2019 has been penciled in to get Wilder over to England to fight at Wembley Stadium.
But when the American requested a few clauses were tweaked in the deal - including a rematch for every outcome of the fight - the new offer apparently came back much worse.
“I’m just fed up discussing this bulls*** with them because it’s one bulls*** after another,” Finkel told World Boxing News.
“There’s no doubt in my mind they don’t want to fight Deontay Wilder in April.
“If they did, they wouldn’t have sent a contract with more impediments in than the first time. I mean, they don’t even have their own lies together right now.
“Joshua said he’d send a signed contract that removed all impediments and that is would be signed by him, but the contract is not even signed by him - it’s signed by Eddie Hearn.
“Barry (Hearn) also sent a tweet out yesterday stating the contract was signed by ‘AJ’ but it’s not. And added to that, they have now put more blocks on the rematch clause than before.
“In the original contract for a fight in 2018, Deontay rejected it because of the rematch clause only being in place for Joshua.
“Now, they’ve added that a rematch won’t take place if it’s a draw. I mean, there has to be a rematch if there’s a draw, they don’t even have their own story straight! The bottom line is, they don’t want to make the fight.
“They didn’t want to make it in September, and they don’t want to make it now – for April.
“If they did, they would have changed the things (Deontay was adverse to in the original contract) like Joshua said they would.”
Finkel added that he thinks the Brit is scared of facing the WBC champion.
“Obviously, whether Joshua is afraid… or they are afraid, they are fooling the public regarding this fight. They are not looking to fight Deontay Wilder on April 13th,” he added.
“They are lying, they don’t want to fight April 13th or they wouldn’t have sent the contract the way they did.
“The fact is, they sent a contract worse than before and left in the things Deontay wanted changed. They have no desire to fight on April 13 whatsoever and they keep telling the public lies.
“People who want to be his fans - that’s fine, but don’t believe the lies coming from the Joshua side surrounding these negotiations.
“Deontay Wilder wants this fight and it’s not down to anything on his side that’s it’s not happening.
“If however, terms are realistic in the future, we would be open to receiving the contract we were expecting and would be happy to look at it if those impediments were removed - as previously stated by Joshua himself.”
August 6, 2018
Despite the fact the Gypsy King is not even two fights into his 'big comeback', he has already claimed talks are underway for a crack at Wilder's WBC belt.
And it might not be as unlikely to happen as many boxing critics believe
Speaking to Sky Sports, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said: "It seems that Wilder will fight Tyson Fury next.
"We are waiting for an official sanction request from the promoter."
While talks between a Wilder versus Anthony Joshua unification scrap appear to have completely hit the buffers, Fury has swept on in.
It was only on June 9 that Fury won his comeback fight after almost three years out of the sport.
He secured a stoppage win after his massively outclassed opponent Sefer Seferi pulled himself out after four rounds.
On August 18 at Windsor Park in Northern Ireland Fury will take on 33-year-old Italian Pianeta.
Despite the acceptance that Wilder will probably fight Fury next, Sulaiman is still keen to see that fight happen between AJ and Wilder.
He added: "The WBC has done everything possible to see this great fight happen.
"I will be thrilled to see it happen, which is a must as that is what the fans of the world want."
Dillian Whyte, who secured a points win against former WBA champ Joseph Parker last time out, has consistently angled for a world title shot against Wilder.
However Sulaiman went on to explain why the 'Bodysnatcher' isn’t the mandatory challenger to Wilder’s WBC crown.
Sulaiman said: "The mandatory challenger is Dominic Breazeale. Last year he was contracted to fight a final elimination bout versus Bermane Stiverne.
"When Luis Ortiz could not fight Deontay Wilder, Bermane Stiverne got the fight and Breazeale was left with a contract. The replacement for Breazeale was Eric Molina.
"The condition was that if Breazeale won he would become mandatory as per the contract he had.
"Dillian Whyte is the WBC silver champion, but is not mandatory.
"The WBC offered him to fight a final elimination bout to enforce a second mandatory on the division against Luis Ortiz, but Whyte did not wish to fight such."
September 21, 2018
Tyson Fury's world heavyweight title fight with WBC champ Deontay Wilder will take place in Los Angeles on December 1.
Contracts have been signed following a bidding war between the Staples Center in LA and the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Fury will challenge KO king Wilder following the breakdown in negotiations between the American and Anthony Joshua.
Wilder took to Instagram to say: 'Well, I just signed my portion of the contract for the Wilder vs Fury fight. This fight is definitely on. It's going to be one for the legacy. Definitely one for my legacy.
'It's going to be a pleasure. The two best heavyweights competing against each other. The best fighting the best giving the people what they want. Announcement next week, baby.'
Fury is accelerating his comeback from suspension by putting his lineal heavyweight title on the line in only his third fight after two years out of the ring.
The news broke in the early hours of Joshua's defence of his heavyweight belts against Alexander Povetkin at Wembley Stadium.
Joshua rejected a £38.2million offer for a fight against Wilder to find the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/bo...Center-LA.html
October 19, 2018
The stalled, icy negotiations between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are beginning to thaw and progress is being made, Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, told Sporting News on Wednesday.
"I do think we'll get there," Hearn said at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden after a press conference to announce a Dec.15 fight between Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Rocky Fielding.
Hearn also disclosed that Matchroom's latest offer to Wilder's camp includes multiple bouts.
"In our new deal, we have given them a two-fight deal, so one in the U.K. first — April 13 — and then one in America," Hearn said of attempting to secure matchups between the heavyweight champions. "So, great security for Deontay Wilder and both guys. It's a risky fight, a lot of money and a great opportunity, so I don't see why not."
"[Live-streaming service] DAZN is ready to put up a huge amount of money for Joshua vs. Wilder and we're looking forward to making it happen," Hearn added.
Hearn said Matchroom would entertain an offer from Showtime if the network that shows Wilder's fights makes one, but he added that "they can't pay the money DAZN will pay."
Nov. 2017
Finkel closed the post-fight press conference by reading out an email from Hearn he received in November. ‘I have an email here, dated November 29, it was the evening of the day I met Eddie Hearn’s father,’ Finkel said. ‘He said at the meeting: ‘I think we could do bigger business in Las Vegas, because I can bring over 20,000 Brits who can spend more money just like they did for Ricky Hatton.’
‘I said: ‘Fine. Put the numbers together, we’re ready to make a deal.’ ‘I got a letter, and I’ll quote it from Eddie: ‘Glad you had a good chinwag with the old man,’ you know that’s from him, that’s not the language we speak here. ‘I will get the respective sales profit-loss this week to you for discussion,’ meaning what we would make in the UK and what we’d make in Vegas. ‘All the best, Eddie.’
‘I have never heard from him since. The bottom line is, if someone wants a fight, it gets made. I know, no matter what is said, he [Joshua] doesn’t want the fight.’
April 6, 2018
"The WBA called the mandatory yesterday for AJ to face Povetkin next," promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports. "We have a 30 day window to negotiate -- at this stage it means it's very likely Anthony's next fight will be between [Deontay] Wilder or Povetkin."
http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/i...ander-povetkin
April 11, 2018
Deontay Wilder seems set to turn down the £8.8million offer to fight Anthony Joshua.
The WBC champion has received a fight contract from Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn, but it is believed the offer falls well short of Wilder’s expectations. Hearn insisted if Wilder’s team was to reject the latest offer, then Joshua would move on to finalising a deal to face WBA mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin.
Wilder’s team, which includes Shelly Finkel, have already said they will accept any contract that is ‘within reason’ and are prepared to do whatever it takes to make the unification showdown with Joshua happen. But the response from Finkel suggests the Wilder team is not happy with the offer on the table. He said: ‘No comment at all. We’re preparing a response.’
Promoter Lou DiBella, another member of Wilder’s team, was far less coy in his response to Joshua, insisting the deal proved the Brit doesn’t actually want the fight. ‘If you’re going to make an offer that insults Deontay Wilder, it’s obvious Eddie doesn’t want the fight right now,’ he said. Hearn has already insisted the AJ team will not be returning with an improved offer.
May 22, 2018
Anthony Joshua is ready to turn down a £37million offer to fight Deontay Wilder in the USA by insisting their world heavyweight unification bout takes place in the United Kingdom.
Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, told Telegraph Sport that a final decision over the staging of the fight will be finalised in the next three weeks. But Hearn said that Joshua, holder of the WBO, IBF and WBA titles, should be allowed to have home advantage against Wilder, of Alabama, who holds the WBC crown.
Joshua is prepared to take a pay cut of more than £7m to fight in front of his home fans. Wembley Stadium, Twickenham Stadium and even the Olympic Stadium are three possible venues for the blockbuster contest to take place, with the preference being for an outdoor venue to stage the fight in September.
"One thing is for absolute certain, AJ wants Wilder next," Hearn said. "He’s made that clear. He also feels though, after talking to Rob McCracken, his trainer and manager, that this is a fight that should be delivered in the UK. One for the fans and two, he feels like he’s earned that right."
Joshua has been offered a baseline of $50m (£37m) to face Wilder in America by the WBC champion's team, but Hearn insisted: "AJ’s not really swayed by an extra £10m or £15m. He’d rather do the fight over here in front of his fans.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/boxing/2...der-us-insist/
June 12, 2018 added courtesy of juggernaut666
DEONTAY WILDER has cranked up the pressure on Anthony Joshua after publicly accepting the Briton’s offer to fight in the UK this year, just days after promoter Eddie Hearn suggested Alexander Povetkin now looked likely to face AJ next.
Negotiations between the two heavyweight champions have been ongoing since Joshua defeated Joseph Parker in March, adding the WBO belt to his IBF, WBA and IBO titles.
But in recent weeks, talks appeared to have stalled with the two parties at loggerheads over where the fight should take place; Wilder had previously offered Joshua $50m (£37m) to travel to the US for the undisputed heavyweight showdown but the 28-year-old Olympic gold medallist has been adamant the fight should take place in the UK.
Speaking to his Twitter followers today however, Wilder said he would agree to AJ’s terms to defend his WBC title in the UK this year, writing: “Breaking news for all you Anthony Joshua fans... The $50m offer for him to fight me next in the US is still available.
"Today I even agreed to their offer to fight Joshua next in the UK. If he prefers the fight in the UK, the ball is in their court. It's up to them to choose."
Wilder’s manager, Shelly Finkel, echoed his fighters’s words, telling ESPN: "We have agreed to the terms that Eddie [Hearn] has put out to us for a fight in the UK.
"Deontay sent an email to Joshua on Sunday night and I sent one today to Barry Hearn and Eddie telling them that we officially accept the offer to fight under the terms they gave us and to send us the contract."
Earlier this month, Finkel met with Matchroom founder Barry Hearn in New York in an attempt to salvage the fight as WBA mandatory challenger Povetkin looked an increasingly likely prospect.
But Finkel said he hoped this latest breakthrough would sway talks back towards 32-year-old Wilder.
He added: ”If they change their mind, the $50 million [against 50 per cent of the event] we offered them [to come to the United States] is still on the table. That is still for them if they want it.
"There's no [percentage] split, but they've offered us a good purse. Not as good as we feel it should be, but we want the fight and we're willing to take what they offered.
"We wanted a percentage, but we didn't think we could get it done in a quick time frame, so we said let's take what they've offered us. Deontay wants this fight."
June 26, 2018
Finkel also said their side wants the fight and has accepted the financial terms Hearn laid out in his counter offer, as well as agreeing to fight Joshua in the United Kingdom, his home country. Hearn's last public offer to Wilder was a flat fee of $15 million, an increase over his previous offer of $12.5 million.
"I want to make it clear that Deontay Wilder wants this fight more than Anthony Joshua does, which is evidenced by the fact that Wilder accepted a flat purse for this fight, which is unheard of for a fight of this magnitude," Finkel said. "He also has accepted to fight Anthony Joshua in the U.K., while Anthony Joshua did not accept a $50 million offer, which Joshua originally asked for, plus a percentage (of the profits) to fight Wilder in the U.S.
"Eddie thinks I dislike him. He is wrong. I just have a difference of opinion with him of what a fact is. When I state something is a fact, I have written proof to back it up. I dare Eddie to do the same."
It is highly unusual for a fighter to accept a flat fee rather than percentage of the revenue for an event that figures to be as massive as Joshua-Wilder. It looms as a nine-figure, worldwide event and one of the two biggest fights in boxing along with the Sept. 15 rematch between unified middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez. Finkel said their side accepted the terms of the agreement on June 11 and asked Hearn to send a long-form contract.
"This took Matchroom by surprise never thinking that Wilder would accept their below-market offer," Finkel said. "Shortly after, Eddie Hearn went public saying that we would receive a contract by Friday, June 15th, when in fact we did not receive a contract until late on Monday, June 18th. On Tuesday June 19th, we requested a clarification of two points. They did not respond. I requested them again on Thursday, June 21st, and we finally received a response on Friday, June 22nd.
"Two days later, on Sunday, June 24th, I sent them a letter acknowledging Eddie's email of June 22, telling them they would have the contract back by Friday, June 29th. Since the contract did not state the date or the venue, I also asked for that information. These are the facts and Matchroom will have the contracts back to them by Friday, June 29th."
Finkel said it will then be up to Hearn to address the issues he pointed out.
http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/i...anthony-joshua
June 26, 2018
Anthony Joshua was ordered to sign a deal to fight Alexander Povetkin "within 24 hours" or face being stripped of the WBA portion of his world heavyweight boxing titles.
The WBA lost patience with the talks between Joshua and WBC champion Deontay Wilder for a unification bout, and want Joshua to fight its mandatory challenger from Russia.
WBA president Gilberto Mendoza said on Tuesday in a statement: "The WBA have allowed over a month extension to negotiations with Povetkin and also ongoing discussions with Deontay Wilder.
"It appears the Wilder team have not returned the contract for the fight and therefore we are requesting a date for the Joshua versus Povetkin fight with immediate effect."
There seemed no choice for Joshua (21-0, 20 KO).
His promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports on Tuesday they will not relinquish the WBA belt to wait for Wilder. Joshua owns three of the big four belts, and aims to become the first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis in 2000. His WBA and IBF belts were joined by the WBO version he relieved from Joseph Parker in March.
"We're not going to lose a belt to the WBA through ordering a mandatory," Hearn said. "If Povetkin is ready to go then that will be next. It will be in September, and then we fight Wilder straight after, if he signs a contract."
The WBA originally gave the promoters of Joshua and Povetkin until May 5 to reach an agreement then extended the deadline twice because of a potential deal with Wilder.
Hearn said they gave Wilder's team a contract nine days ago, and their reaction didn't come until Sunday, when they proposed to offer comments this Friday.
"They know we're under pressure from the WBA and it all feels like a big game," Hearn said.
"We have to get on with our business. If Povetkin is ready to sign a contract then he's next. Conversations and negotiations will continue with Deontay Wilder and we'll sign that contract at any moment.
http://www.espn.com/espn/wire/_/sect...ng/id/23911009
June 30, 2018
DEONTAY WILDER has turned down the chance to face Anthony Joshua next year in April, telling Eddie Hearn he is not interested in the £15.21million offer presented to him.
Hearn recently offered Wilder a two-fight deal, £3.8m to fight at the end of this year against anyone the American likes, then £11.4m to face Joshua in April 2019.
But the Bronze Bomber has come back and told the promoter he is not interested.
Wilder said in response to the $20m offer: “Nah I’m good you can kumbaya it, go help those in need.
He also took a swipe a Hearn's new online platform DAZN, which he called "trash" and claimed "no top US fighter" would sign up for the streaming service.
The 32-year-old said: "You got that new boxing app deznuts right! Man use it on that!
"You’ll need it to pay back all the money they loaned you, no top US fighter is signing, that s***'s trash.
"Besides why would anyone sign with you? You purposely avoided."
He finished by reiterating his initial offer to Hearn for the Joshua fight.
Calling the promoter a "disease to the sport", he said: “$50M up front with 50 per cent split deal for your biggest client."
July 12, 2018
The contract for the fight between Anthony Joshua and Alexander Povetkin has not yet been signed. This was announced by the head of the company "World of Boxing" Andrey Ryabinsky. On Wednesday, Sky Sports reported that the boxers will fight on September 22 in London.
"We are in negotiations," Ryabinsky said. "The contract has not yet been signed. London is the main option."
July 16, 2018
Anthony Joshua will fight Alexander Povetkin on September 22 at Wembley for the WBA Super, IBF, WBO and IBO Heavyweight World titles.
"I can’t wait to get back in the ring, the end of March feels a long time ago now,” said Joshua . “Povetkin is a serious challenge that I will prepare meticulously for. He has serious pedigree and only a fool would underestimate what he brings to the table.
“Training hasn’t stopped for me, but the next 10 weeks ahead will be intense both mentally and physically. I will push myself to breaking point to make sure I am in peak condition for another huge night for British boxing at Wembley Stadium on September 22nd.”
Povetkin is confident of causing the upset after brutally knocking out David Price in his last outing.
July 31, 2018
ANTHONY JOSHUA has been blasted by Deontay Wilder’s manager Shelly Finkel for sending a “bulls***” contract.
Joshua and Wilder had been hoping to lock horns later this year but talks broke down after the WBA ordered the Brit to fight mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin.
A date of April 13, 2019 has been penciled in to get Wilder over to England to fight at Wembley Stadium.
But when the American requested a few clauses were tweaked in the deal - including a rematch for every outcome of the fight - the new offer apparently came back much worse.
“I’m just fed up discussing this bulls*** with them because it’s one bulls*** after another,” Finkel told World Boxing News.
“There’s no doubt in my mind they don’t want to fight Deontay Wilder in April.
“If they did, they wouldn’t have sent a contract with more impediments in than the first time. I mean, they don’t even have their own lies together right now.
“Joshua said he’d send a signed contract that removed all impediments and that is would be signed by him, but the contract is not even signed by him - it’s signed by Eddie Hearn.
“Barry (Hearn) also sent a tweet out yesterday stating the contract was signed by ‘AJ’ but it’s not. And added to that, they have now put more blocks on the rematch clause than before.
“In the original contract for a fight in 2018, Deontay rejected it because of the rematch clause only being in place for Joshua.
“Now, they’ve added that a rematch won’t take place if it’s a draw. I mean, there has to be a rematch if there’s a draw, they don’t even have their own story straight! The bottom line is, they don’t want to make the fight.
“They didn’t want to make it in September, and they don’t want to make it now – for April.
“If they did, they would have changed the things (Deontay was adverse to in the original contract) like Joshua said they would.”
Finkel added that he thinks the Brit is scared of facing the WBC champion.
“Obviously, whether Joshua is afraid… or they are afraid, they are fooling the public regarding this fight. They are not looking to fight Deontay Wilder on April 13th,” he added.
“They are lying, they don’t want to fight April 13th or they wouldn’t have sent the contract the way they did.
“The fact is, they sent a contract worse than before and left in the things Deontay wanted changed. They have no desire to fight on April 13 whatsoever and they keep telling the public lies.
“People who want to be his fans - that’s fine, but don’t believe the lies coming from the Joshua side surrounding these negotiations.
“Deontay Wilder wants this fight and it’s not down to anything on his side that’s it’s not happening.
“If however, terms are realistic in the future, we would be open to receiving the contract we were expecting and would be happy to look at it if those impediments were removed - as previously stated by Joshua himself.”
August 6, 2018
Despite the fact the Gypsy King is not even two fights into his 'big comeback', he has already claimed talks are underway for a crack at Wilder's WBC belt.
And it might not be as unlikely to happen as many boxing critics believe
Speaking to Sky Sports, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said: "It seems that Wilder will fight Tyson Fury next.
"We are waiting for an official sanction request from the promoter."
While talks between a Wilder versus Anthony Joshua unification scrap appear to have completely hit the buffers, Fury has swept on in.
It was only on June 9 that Fury won his comeback fight after almost three years out of the sport.
He secured a stoppage win after his massively outclassed opponent Sefer Seferi pulled himself out after four rounds.
On August 18 at Windsor Park in Northern Ireland Fury will take on 33-year-old Italian Pianeta.
Despite the acceptance that Wilder will probably fight Fury next, Sulaiman is still keen to see that fight happen between AJ and Wilder.
He added: "The WBC has done everything possible to see this great fight happen.
"I will be thrilled to see it happen, which is a must as that is what the fans of the world want."
Dillian Whyte, who secured a points win against former WBA champ Joseph Parker last time out, has consistently angled for a world title shot against Wilder.
However Sulaiman went on to explain why the 'Bodysnatcher' isn’t the mandatory challenger to Wilder’s WBC crown.
Sulaiman said: "The mandatory challenger is Dominic Breazeale. Last year he was contracted to fight a final elimination bout versus Bermane Stiverne.
"When Luis Ortiz could not fight Deontay Wilder, Bermane Stiverne got the fight and Breazeale was left with a contract. The replacement for Breazeale was Eric Molina.
"The condition was that if Breazeale won he would become mandatory as per the contract he had.
"Dillian Whyte is the WBC silver champion, but is not mandatory.
"The WBC offered him to fight a final elimination bout to enforce a second mandatory on the division against Luis Ortiz, but Whyte did not wish to fight such."
September 21, 2018
Tyson Fury's world heavyweight title fight with WBC champ Deontay Wilder will take place in Los Angeles on December 1.
Contracts have been signed following a bidding war between the Staples Center in LA and the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Fury will challenge KO king Wilder following the breakdown in negotiations between the American and Anthony Joshua.
Wilder took to Instagram to say: 'Well, I just signed my portion of the contract for the Wilder vs Fury fight. This fight is definitely on. It's going to be one for the legacy. Definitely one for my legacy.
'It's going to be a pleasure. The two best heavyweights competing against each other. The best fighting the best giving the people what they want. Announcement next week, baby.'
Fury is accelerating his comeback from suspension by putting his lineal heavyweight title on the line in only his third fight after two years out of the ring.
The news broke in the early hours of Joshua's defence of his heavyweight belts against Alexander Povetkin at Wembley Stadium.
Joshua rejected a £38.2million offer for a fight against Wilder to find the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/bo...Center-LA.html
October 19, 2018
The stalled, icy negotiations between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are beginning to thaw and progress is being made, Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, told Sporting News on Wednesday.
"I do think we'll get there," Hearn said at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden after a press conference to announce a Dec.15 fight between Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Rocky Fielding.
Hearn also disclosed that Matchroom's latest offer to Wilder's camp includes multiple bouts.
"In our new deal, we have given them a two-fight deal, so one in the U.K. first — April 13 — and then one in America," Hearn said of attempting to secure matchups between the heavyweight champions. "So, great security for Deontay Wilder and both guys. It's a risky fight, a lot of money and a great opportunity, so I don't see why not."
"[Live-streaming service] DAZN is ready to put up a huge amount of money for Joshua vs. Wilder and we're looking forward to making it happen," Hearn added.
Hearn said Matchroom would entertain an offer from Showtime if the network that shows Wilder's fights makes one, but he added that "they can't pay the money DAZN will pay."
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