Anthony Joshua v Deontay Wilder a certainty in 2018 - Eddie Hearn News

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Anthony Joshua v Deontay Wilder a certainty in 2018 - Eddie Hearn

By Daily Sports on November 10, 2017

Promoter Eddie Hearn says there is "absolutely no question" Anthony Joshua will face Deontay Wilder in a heavyweight unification bout in 2018.

Wilder called out Britain's IBF and WBA champion after defending his WBC title against Bermane Stiverne on Saturday.

Hearn met Wilder's promoter in the USA on Thursday and urged the American to keep his financial demands realistic.

"We need middle ground between reality and fantasy," said Hearn. "If we can, I don't see problems making the fight."

He added: "Unfortunately, Anthony has to overpay opponents. If we offered Deontay the correct purse for this fight it would never happen because he would think it was disrespectful.

"So we have to overpay him to make it happen. And we have to give him respect because he's a great fighter, a great champion, really exciting, a great self promoter.

"I feel a bit bad for him, he's got no promoter pushing him."

He was unable to clarify if it would be Joshua's next fight or if a summer bout is more likely but stressed a meeting between the two unbeaten fighters would be the "biggest fight in world boxing", adding: "Joshua wants this fight bad, Wilder wants it bad as well."

Hearn added: "It's going to happen in 2018, absolutely no question. You can't get away with not making fights anymore because when you do you wake up to a million tweets."

•Photo shows Deontay Wilder.

Source Daily Sports

Posted November 10, 2017