The facts about Joshua and Wilder.

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Joshua never expected to be offered the 50 million he requested. He felt his honor was at stake and he wanted to accept the offer. His team convinced him to turn it down.

Everyone is free to argue whether he should have accepted, but the offer was real.

Hearn never expected Wilder to accept the 15 million flat fee. Hearn never ever wanted to do the fight next. So he stalled, made excuses, and got the WBA to bail him out by ordering that Povetkin be next.

Fanboys can think what they want, but those two things are indisputable. The 50 million was real. Wilder accepted the 15 million flat.

What's important in all of this though is that it would have been idiotic to do Joshua vs. Wilder back then. Hearn should not be criticized in any way for delaying the fight. He's one of the best promoters of all time. Both sides would have been leaving tens of millions on the table by rushing into the fight like that.

Even with Joshua getting knocked out by Ruiz, Joshua vs. Wilder can still be built into a way bigger fight in 2021 or 2022 than it would have been in 2018. It would have been absolutely ****** to do it in 2018 (or sooner as many demanded).

Fights happen when they're meant to happen.

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Hearn then discussed the $50m offer, revealing: "AJ’s not really swayed by an extra £10m or £15m. He’d rather do the fight over here in front of his fans."

Guess that went out the window with the Ruiz rematch though. What happened to not being swayed by extra money? Wanting to do it at home for the fans?

Is it possible that was just an excuse to justify ducking Wilder?

[Laligalaliga]

You try so much to convince yourself wilder didnt duck AJ.
It's okay.
Let us know whenever he grows a ball to sign a contract.

[Articulateboxin]

I actually started typing out a huge ass response, summarising all the bs i've heard and read on these two fighting - then I realised it's entirely pointless and a waste of my life

It's all 0 value adding, both fighters have supposedly turned down / not accepted contracts with each other. Their reasons will never be truly known to us, all we can work on now is the future and the current lay of the land.

Fingers crossed for an undisputed in 2020!

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You try so much to convince yourself wilder didnt duck AJ.
It's okay.
Let us know whenever he grows a ball to sign a contract.

You and I both know you're a troll. Which is fine. But new users may now realize you're a troll, so I'll go ahead and respond to you.

Wilder accepted the low ball 15 million flat fee to go to the UK. A year and a half ago. Hearn was so surprised that anybody would accept an offer specifically designed to kill a fight, that he didn't know what to do. He stalled and stalled, kept promising to send a contract, but didn't.

He FINALLY sent the contract on a Monday. Wilder's team said we'll sign by Friday, just clarify a couple points. Then Hearn said he changed his mind and wanted to fight Povetkin next, but was willing to do the Wilder fight a year later.

That's what happened. Wilder didn't duck the fight. Hearn did.

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both fighters have supposedly turned down / not accepted contracts with each other.

Wilder was offered 12.5 million flat to fight in the UK. He turned it down.

Joshua asked for 50 million flat to fight in the US. When the 50 million was offered, he turned it down. So clearly he was bluffing about really wanting the fight.

Wilder was then offered 15 million flat to fight in the UK. He accepted. Then Hearn made up excuses and tried to get him to sign for a fight a year away instead of getting to fight Joshua next. So clearly Hearn had been bluffing about really wanting the fight.

Wilder was then offered 40 million to fight Joshua, on the condition that Joshua won his next fight, and on the condition that Wilder fight Breazeale on DAZN for 20 million. Wilder turned down fighting Breazeale on DAZN, but was willing to fight Joshua on DAZN if Joshua won his next fight. Joshua ended up losing his next fight though.

Their reasons will never be truly known to us

The reason is very well known. Joshua is the cash cow. Wilder is the most dangerous puncher in the history of mankind. Nobody in their right mind would put their cash cow in the ring with the most dangerous puncher in the history of mankind.

[hansS]

No interest in Joshua/Wilder. Fury/Wilder is the fight at heavy weight. Joshua is not even on that level any more.

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No interest in Joshua/Wilder. Fury/Wilder is the fight at heavy weight. Joshua is not even on that level any more.

I still want to see an undisputed heavyweight champion. Don't care who it is.

[hansS]

I still want to see an undisputed heavyweight champion. Don't care who it is.

Agree. I think Joshua's camp wants to make money and keep him away from danger after what happened against Ruiz. Hopefully we still get Fury-Wilder and if Joshua doesn't get beat again soon, maybe his camp will go for it eventually.

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Agree. I think Joshua's camp wants to make money and keep him away from danger after what happened against Ruiz. Hopefully we still get Fury-Wilder and if Joshua doesn't get beat again soon, maybe his camp will go for it eventually.

The leverage changes in a major way if Wilder (or Fury) can become unified champion. The rare instances where you have two unified champions in the same division puts a lot of pressure on the unification because neither guy has the upper hand.