Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn took some time to answer questions from media members over the weekend on the state of the Anthony Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder negotiations and how he feels about Wilder’s $50M offer to them.
Hearn says that while they aren’t interested in the offer, Wilder’s team has been unwilling to sit down with him or even send him a draft of the proposed contract until he’s accepted the deal, which is obviously a non-starter.
“We want to talk about it! We’re interested! That should be enough for them,” Hearn said of Wilder’s offer. “Yes, we are interested! Send me a draft, let’s meet, and we can discuss it further. ‘No, we’re not meeting. That’s just ridiculous.’ What are you talking about?! How is that ridiculous?!
“We don’t know how they intend to pay the money, I don’t know where they intend to stage the fight. These are all things that have to be considered before accepting the deal...I’m saying ‘let’s see the funds, let’s talk about it. Tell me where it’s gonna be.’ That’s not unreasonable...
“I think what they’re trying to do is get acceptance of the fight and then go out and attract the funds. I don’t blame ‘em for that...We’re not interested in being shopped around to go to Vegas, to go to New York...We don’t wanna be whored out when Anthony Joshua is one of the biggest brands in world boxing, by people he doesn’t wanna be whored out by...
“[Anthony Joshua], like me, is interested in the offer if it carries the right terms...If this deal is right for us, and the terms of this offer is right, there is every chance we would accept it. Until we know what those terms are, until we know the details of the deal we cannot accept it. I can’t make it any clearer.”
What the full media scrum above, courtesy of Fight Hub TV.