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Wilder Not on Joshua's Radar for July Fight Amidst Fury Showdown Plans

From The Punch · (22h ago) English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed Deontay Wilder is not part of the current plans for Anthony Joshua's July fight offer.
  • Joshua is being lined up for a potential blockbuster showdown with Tyson Fury in November.
  • The proposed deal involves a July interim fight, but stakeholders want to avoid risking the Fury bout by matching Joshua against a dangerous opponent like Wilder beforehand.

English boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has definitively stated that Deontay Wilder is not in the running for Anthony Joshua's next fight, despite lingering speculation. Joshua has received a lucrative offer for a July return, potentially as part of a two-fight deal culminating in a massive clash with Tyson Fury in November, a bout that has long been anticipated by fans.

The deal that we have been offered to fight in July and then fight Tyson Fury in November is not with Deontay Wilder in mind.

— Eddie HearnClarifying the opponent for Anthony Joshua's potential July fight.

Hearn clarified that the current proposal, spearheaded by Turki Alalshikh and Riyadh Season, is structured specifically to pave the way for the Fury fight. "The powers that be don’t really want us to be in that type of fight," Hearn explained, indicating that the stakeholders behind the deal are unwilling to jeopardize the highly anticipated Joshua-Fury encounter by pitting Joshua against a formidable and unpredictable opponent like Wilder in the interim.

The powers that be don’t really want us to be in that type of fight.

— Eddie HearnExplaining the reluctance of stakeholders to book Joshua against Wilder before a potential Fury fight.

While Joshua himself has no qualms about facing Wilder, the terms of the current offer make such a matchup improbable. The focus remains squarely on building towards the Fury fight, with Joshua expected to take a less risky bout in July to stay active. This strategic approach prioritizes the career-defining clash with Fury, sidelining potential matchups with Wilder for the time being.

We have no problem fighting Wilder, but I don’t think it will be Wilder under the basis of this deal.

— Eddie HearnStating that while a fight with Wilder is possible, it's not under the current proposed terms.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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