By Daily Sports on May 27, 2018

PROMOTER Eddie Hearn says Deontay Wilder must agree to face Anthony Joshua in the UK for the fight to happen this year.

American Wilder has made a £37m offer to Brit Joshua for their world heavyweight title unification bout to take place in the States.

But WBA, IBF and WBO champion Joshua, 28, is insisting on home advantage against WBC king Wilder, 32, after selling nearly 250,000 tickets for his last three fights at Wembley then twice at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.

Hearn is in talks with Wilder’s team and says Russian Alexander Povetkin, who KO’d Liverpool’s David Price in March, as the alternative opponent for September in the UK.

Three London venues – Wembley, Twickenham and the former Olympic Stadium – are in the frame to host Joshua’s next fight.

And Hearn has urged Wilder to accept their demands due to Joshua’s bigger fanbase in the UK.

He said: “It’s the general opinion of myself, AJ and his trainer Rob McCracken that because of the status of AJ in the fight and what we’ve built over here in the UK that we should try to get it over here because he has earned the right for that fight over here.

“If Wilder wins, the rematch can be over in America.

“We are going back and forth with talks at the moment and I’m confident we can make that fight. AJ appreciates he might not make as much money by fighting in the UK but realises that Wilder should be coming here to fight first.

“AJ’s keen to do the fight in the UK and from Rob’s point of view it’s an advantage.

“If it’s in September it gives us the ability to go outside and we would have to consider Cardiff because the Principality Stadium has been good to us, and there is Wembley, the Olympic Stadium, Twickenham and Old Trafford as well. But AJ wants it in London preferably this time around.

“Povetkin is the WBA mandatory challenger. Anthony wants to fight Wilder next – but Povetkin will get his chance at some point.

“I think it is likely AJ’s next fight will take place in September and we will probably get it done in the next two to three weeks.” (Daily Star)

•Photo: World Boxing Heavyweight Champion  Anthony Joshua 

Source Daily Sports

Posted May 27, 2018

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