Promoter Eddie Hearn and Deontay Wilder have buried the hatchet to help clear the path for a showdown with Anthony Joshua next year.
Joshua and Wilder will fight on the same star-studded card in Saudi Arabia on 23 December against different opponents in Otto Wallin and Joseph Parker respectively.
Should they come through those tests, it is hoped the two will finally meet in the ring in a fight that has been eight years in the making.
Previous efforts to make one of the biggest fights in boxing have repeatedly fallen through over the years. In the past, former WBC champion Wilder has taken aim at Joshua’s promoter Hearn, accusing him of blocking efforts to get it over the line.
Wilder doubled down on those claims on Wednesday, telling the Mail: ‘It’s his management that have held him back from fighting me because, you know, he’s a fighter. It’s been over six years. But there comes a point in time we’re you’re like, ‘Forget it’.
‘Many times he wanted to fight, he wanted to accept it but his handlers didn’t want it because Joshua is the money-maker for the company. And if he goes down, so does the business.’
After Wednesday’s press conference in London, Hearn and Wilder appeared to be on the same flight heading to Los Angeles with the American sharing a picture of himself and the Matchroom chief.
Wilder’s caption suggested he and Hearn have now put their differences aside, with all roads now leading to the Joshua fight being delivered in 2024 should both get the win in Saudi next month.
‘Damn, this is wilder than Wilder. If you know the history then you know what’s understood don’t have to be explained. I will title this picture “Old Endings For A New Beginning.“
‘Finally, the boxing fans will get what they’ve been waiting YEARS for. The only thing that stands in the way now is Dec 23rd.’
While the boxing world would expect Joshua vs Wilder next year, there not yet a final deal in place for that fight.
Hearn told IFL TV: ‘Those discussions continue. We have business to take care of on 23 December, it has been been made very clear to us that the plan is to make Joshua vs Wilder but they both have to win.
‘You’ve potentially got the Filip Hrgovic [mandatory challenger for the IBF title] fight for the world title… we have got options. But we like the vision, we like the plan and the first stage of his is 23 December.’
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