Shelly Finkel and Eddie Hearn have apparently patched things up but that has not exactly led to a meaningful business transaction.

Finkel, the longtime manager of former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, and Hearn, the head of Matchroom which promotes fellow former titlist Anthony Joshua, have famously feuded over the years in the media regarding a potential fight between their star charges.  

They are in a better place now, but according to Finkel, a Wilder-Joshua fight does not appear any closer to getting done.

“Him and I get along really well,” Finkel said of Hearn in a recent interview with iD Boxing. “He still never delivers Joshua.”

Finkel made his remarks in Saudi Arabia this past weekend, where he and Wilder were in attendance to see Jake Paul and Tommy Fury fight over eight rounds. Wilder and Finkel apparently were in town to discuss some business as well, as Wilder recently indicated that he has a keen desire to have a big fight in the Oil Kingdom sometime soon.

When asked if a Wilder-Joshua showdown could materialize by the end of the year, Finkel deferred to Hearn, saying essentially that the ball is in the British promoter’s court.

“Go ask him,” Finkel said. “If it was me, yes, but I’ve been trying for five years now, I guess, and it’s not because of our side.”

Finkel believes that there is reluctance not so much from Hearn but from Joshua himself regarding a Wilder fight. Joshua is scheduled to return to the ring April 1 against Jermaine Franklin in what will be his first fight since two consecutive defeats to WBA, WBO, IBF, IBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine.   

“At the end of the day, no matter what anyone else says, it comes down to the fighter,” Finkel said. “When Mike Tyson wanted to fight Michael Spinks, no one could stop it. If [Joshua] wants to fight, then it’ll happen. If he doesn’t, then he’ll make excuses.”

Finkel, who oversaw the closed-circuit operation for Tyson-Spinks, also rebutted rumors that Wilder had cut ties with Premier Boxing Champions, the outfit founded by his longtime advisor Al Haymon. At the same time, Finkel pointed out that Wilder is open to doing business with other entities.  

“It’s not really [the case that Wilder is a free agent], Finkel said. “If someone comes to us with something great, we’ll look at it and take it. But he’s still with PBC, basically.”