Hearn: We want Joshua-Wilder by end of the year

Anthony Joshua is currently scheduled to unify heavyweight titles with Joseph Parker on March 31st. But with Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn being completely confident that he will prevail against Parker, Hearn tells Sky Sports that he has ambitious plans for Joshua this year.

“This could be the last time [Joshua] fights in the UK in 2018,” Hearn told Sky Sports about the Parker fight.

”The Wilder fight could be in America. We want to fight Wilder before the end of the year. Our plan is box three times this year - end of August or early September, then December.”

One of those two other bouts may need to come against Alexander Povetkin, who is currently the mandatory challenger for Joshua’s WBA belt. But that aside Hearn says they have no problem traveling Stateside for a potential undisputed heavyweight title unification with Wilder by year’s end. However the reality is that negotiations for that fight could prove increasingly difficult should Joshua pick up a third major world title against Parker.

Specifically Hearn mentions that their side would naturally want an even bigger split of the revenue pie for a Wilder fight if they enter negotiations with three of the four major titles — and that might prove to be a sticking point as Wilder has recently demanded an even split.

Wilder most certainly won’t end up with an even split if this fight is to come off, but the bout would provide him with an opportunity to become the biggest star in heavyweight boxing (and perhaps all of boxing), with an ability to cash-in on that status for years to come.

As of now, things are trending in the right direction for a huge heavyweight showdown. Let’s just think good thoughts...