Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

The first punch in the proposed heavyweight unification bout between Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua was thrown, predictably enough, by one of the promoters.

by Wallace Matthews (RingTV)

And no one is quite sure when the next one will be thrown, or even if it will be delivered by one of the fighters.

On Monday night, Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, made an offer to Al Haymon, adviser to Wilder, for a fight at an unspecified site at a date yet to be determined. The only definitive piece of information in Hearn’s offer was the amount of money he is willing to offer Wilder: $12.5 million.

And with the offer comes a caveat: Take it or leave it.

“If they don’t want it, we’ll fight our mandatory,’’ Hearn told THE RING by telephone on Tuesday morning.

But he added this somewhat encouraging caveat: “If they don’t accept it, the fight’s not dead. It just means we’re going to fight Alexander Povetkin next, and we’ll talk again in December, or February or March of next year.’’

Considering the colorful history of boxing negotiations, Hearn’s offer is probably the first shot in what is likely to be an entertaining period of posturing, saber-rattling, threats and counter-threats that in all likelihood will culminate in the two undefeated heavyweights, one with a huge fan base in his native England and the other with huge power in his right hand, eventually sharing a ring together in what will easily be the biggest heavyweight title fight since Mike Tyson challenged Lennox Lewis in Memphis in 2002.

But the question is, is it still possible for the fight to take place in 2018, or are fight fans in for another year, or more, of waiting?

On Monday, THE RING spoke with Shelly Finkel, a co-manager of Wilder who is the front man for Haymon in the negotiation. Finkel and Hearn had been exchanging emails since last week, and Finkel had been told to expect an offer sometime this week.

“If it’s anything within reason, we’ll do it,’’ said Finkel, who added Wilder had expressed a willingness to fight Joshua before a hostile crowd in the United Kingdom, where Joshua routinely fills stadiums with up to 90,000 highly partisan fans. Finkel also said Wilder and his team would be agreeable to accepting the shorter half of a 60-40 split of all revenue, which is expected to top $50 million.

A day later, however, having been apprised of Hearn’s offer, Finkel seemed a lot less agreeable.

“No comment at all,’’ he said. “We’re preparing a response.’’

Translation: $12.5 million does not fit the definition of “within reason.’’

Lou DiBella, Haymon’s promoter of record for Wilder’s fights, was more blunt: “If you’re going to make an offer that insults Deontay Wilder, it’s obvious Eddie doesn’t want the fight right now.’’

Both fighters defended their titles in March. Wilder survived a near KO loss to Luis Ortiz at the Barclays Center before rallying for probably his most impressive victory yet. Three weeks later, Joshua labored to a disappointing decision win over Joseph Parker, the first time in his career he had been forced to go the distance, to add Parker’s WBO title to his belt collection.

The close call in the Wilder fight conceivably prodded both sides to move on a unification bout before one of the two gets knocked off.

“It’s heavyweight boxing, anything can happen,’’ Hearn said. “There is always the danger someone could get beat and cost everybody a huge payday.’’

The Wilder side concedes that Joshua, who is unbeaten in 21 fights with 20 knockouts, is the bigger draw right now, having packed Wembley Stadium with 90,000 fans for his title-winning effort against Wladmir Klitschko last April, and defended it against Carlos Takam and Parker before crowds of 80,000 in Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. Joshua’s fights also routinely sell upward of 1 million pay-per-view subscriptions in the UK, a number no heavyweight fight has approached in the U.S. since Tyson-Lewis. Joshua also has three of the four heavyweight title belts, the WBA, IBF and WBO. Wilder (41-0, 40 KOS) is the WBC champion.

“We’re the A-side of this matchup,’’ Hearn said. “A 60-40 split is so disproportionate in terms of the relative values of both fighters. Our offer is five times what Deontay Wilder has made for any fight. Everything he gets in this fight is because of Anthony.’’

The Wilder side counters that neither fighter is a proven pay-per-view commodity in the U.S., since neither has appeared in an American pay-per-view events, and in fact, Joshua has never fought on this side of the Atlantic.

“In the UK. Joshua is a rock star of the highest level,’’ DiBella said. “But he could walk down Fifth Avenue and no one would know who he is. He needs Deontay Wilder as much as Deontay needs him.’’

If the Wilder side rejects his offer, Hearn is threatening to fight Povetkin next, and maybe even Jarrell Miller, before coming back to the table in perhaps as long as 18 months down the road. The Wilder side has floated the possibility of a doubleheader featuring he and the comebacking Tyson Fury, in separate bouts, and maybe even in the UK.

“We could call it Power and Fury,’’ DiBella said. “Just to make it clear to Eddie and Joshua that they are not the center of the universe and we do have options.’’

And so it is likely to go between now and whenever the two sides can finally, inevitably, come to a deal.

Asked which of the many fight negotiations he has been involved in was the most difficult, Finkel – who helped broker the Tyson-Michael Spinks fight, an incredibly difficult negotiation in 1988 – said: “This could be it.’’

Asked if he was confident that the fight would get made this year, Finkel said, “If it’s up to us, yes. We want the fight to get done. It’s the right fight at the right time for both fighters. I believe it will happen. But it’s just not happening yet.’’

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Negotiations have started. Let's see how this plays out

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

They should take the 12.5 million, knock AJ's head into the cheap seats, then offer AJ a rematch, for $12.50.

(Twelve dollars and fifty cents.)

Take it or leave it.

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

I bet they don't take it. Wilder can earn that by knocking out 3 more of the walking dead he's been fighting since winning the title.

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

--- Ring writer more than a bit reaching trying to drum up a spectacle by comparing him to a degraded Tyson who was minting $ 20-30 million purses for fighting palookas.

Lewis was not popular in the us, but he was well known and respected and had enough flaws to make people think Tyson would get in shape and beat him. Deyonce makes $1-2 million fighting TBAs, so Hearn is overpaying him aleady. Why even bother with him when there is a plethora of hungry heavies willing to make double what Deyonce made in his last fight?

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

Why bother with Deyoncé ?

Well in years past, which I can well remember, the big boys' belt was the WBC and the one they all wanted, not just at HW but at all weights. It was the grail. You weren't playing in the daddy league unless you were challenging for the WBC strap. And more often than not, (few exceptions I grant you over the years) - the strap remained in the States and a UK fighter had to make the trip if he wanted it (enough). Cue stage left Eubank Sr who was quite happy with the WBO belt (whatever that is) for the majority of his career, a man who had his début and following 4 fights in the States but never returned again.

Nowadays, in this money-driven society - grabbing an ABC "World Title" is pretty easy, as we have seen with AJ who now holds 4 of em. And is a multi-multi millionaire off the back of em.

So, and its a big so, is AJ driven by money (Hearn certainly is with the take it or leave it jibe) - or is AJ driven by a desire to claim the belt because it is, historically the belt. Or is it a desire to completely unify the division?

It also raises another question if AJ decks Wilder and indeed gains all the belts. He cannot possibly defend all the belts against all the mandatories, so how easily will he give up the WBC belt as opposed to the IBF/IBO etc ? Only time will tell us that answer.

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

--- Ring writer more than a bit reaching trying to drum up a spectacle by comparing him to a degraded Tyson who was minting $ 20-30 million purses for fighting palookas.

 

Lewis was not popular in the us, but he was well known and respected and had enough flaws to make people think Tyson would get in shape and beat him. Deyonce makes $1-2 million fighting TBAs, so Hearn is overpaying him aleady. Why even bother with him when there is a plethora of hungry heavies willing to make double what Deyonce made in his last fight?

So you knock Wilder for taking easy fights, but when AJ does it, it's OK?

GTFOOH.

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

Deontay Wilder offered $12.5m “take-it-or-leave-it” deal

American WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder 40-0 (39) has been offered a flat-fee of $USD12.5 million to face England’s WBC, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in a unification bout with Wilder expected to give his answer within the next 48 hours.

Deontay Wilder offered $12.5m "take-it-or-leave-it" deal - Boxing News - Ring News24

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

--- AJ ain't taking on TBAs, obviously.

His is legacy is secure with the Wlad fight, and if he can lure a fat fury out of retirement, that's much bigger than Deyonce. I'd retire early with plenty of funds as he has earned in a dirty sport and enjoy his civilian pursuits so he don't end up like pink milking the public for his lunch money.

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

Here comes the murky and disgusting greed of boxing politics, snivelling promoter and ego / popularity contests plaguing an event the boxing world wants to see.

Hearn's "paltry" offer smacks of greed, and while I don't believe AJ doesn't want the fight, they surely know it won't be made at that cost.

All this talk of how much Wilder has made in past past fights, and truying to justify who brings in what money to the show, who really gives a fuck? Not the boxing fans. Only the promoters truly care about that, so that they can squeeze every last penny out of the purse that they can for themselves.

As Sel mentioned above, the prize if the prestige of being the undisputed unified champion and claim ALL the belts including that green WBC title. Wilder brings that to the table, and with it the hype of this knockout clash of titans. Without Wilder, any other fights out there for Joshua won't net that £75mill they speak of.

I'd guess from that offer and the supposed expected number the fight would likely generate, Hearn himself would be making a lot more than Wilder is for stepping into the ring :haha:

I have said it on other threads on here but at what point does someone require so much more money to take the fight. How does that increased bank balance help you anymore in life when you already have more than you could possibly sensibly spent in 5 lifetimes? Maybe Eddie has a word in his ear about being the highest paid athelete in forbes magazine, because that's a lovely personal record to achieve.

Surely if you really want to prove to be the best, the finacial rewards that come with it are simply a bonus? It's almost like when someone actually gets money, a lot of it, they end up in a fantasy world where they can't just be content with what they have! :noidea:

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

In days gone by too, long gone in fact, if a boxer wanted to fight someone the fight would happen with or without the promoter, probably in the street in the Fab4's days. Now the promoters/advisors are calling ALL the shots and the boxers are letting them. How many matches were made over Larry's microphone after R15 ? Many a promise was made and many a rematch was made in those few seconds and the promoter ran with it.

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

Eddie Hearn responding to some of the stick on Twitter in the last 30 mins or so claiming that reports in UK broadsheet newspapers are way off in their reporting of what previous Joshua opponents made from the fights.

Also stating that the estimates of the $100mill a Wilder fight would make are way off, more like $40. If thats the case the $12 would be around a 30% offer.

Could be Hearn in talking bollocks shocker like, wouldn't be a surprise.

:noidea:

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

 

Well in years past, which I can well remember, the big boys' belt was the WBC and the one they all wanted, not just at HW but at all weights. It was the grail.

Haye was obsessed with the WBC too and I never understood it(before my time) - the WBA was the original, so why was the WBC the one everyone wanted?

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

Eddie Hearn responding to some of the stick on Twitter in the last 30 mins or so claiming that reports in UK broadsheet newspapers are way off in their reporting of what previous Joshua opponents made from the fights.

 

Also stating that the estimates of the $100mill a Wilder fight would make are way off, more like $40. If thats the case the $12 would be around a 30% offer.

 

Could be Hearn in talking bollocks shocker like, wouldn't be a surprise.

 

:noidea:

Well $40m would probably be the gross take. If that's correct than $12m would be reasonable.

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

Haye was obsessed with the WBC too and I never understood it(before my time) - the WBA was the original, so why was the WBC the one everyone wanted?

--- Because it's certified Jose can you see Mexican, now son of Jose, and it's diamondy green and gold and red whereas the others look like composted sewage!

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

Haye was obsessed with the WBC too and I never understood it(before my time) - the WBA was the original, so why was the WBC the one everyone wanted?

When I was a youngun' watching Ali vs Frazier & such, the WBC belt was the only one I even knew existed. (Granted, I was a total casual fan)

I still see it as the one "true" belt, even if it isn't, because that's etched into the reptilian part of my brain.

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

Wilder needs more money cos he gotta pay all the people that have a slice of him. Guy would be better off handled/screwed by Don King.

I remember that interview when Wilder appeared jealous of the money Charles Martin made against Joshua. Now he has a chance to make a lot more - he don't want it? Just sign the contract.

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

Anthony Joshua ordered to fight Alexander Povetkin by the WBA, i read that today.

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

[h=1]WBA orders Joshua-Povetkin[/h]

Link

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

--- Because it's certified Jose can you see Mexican, now son of Jose, and it's diamondy green and gold and red whereas the others look like composted sewage!

When you put it like that, I suppose it does look quite nice. The IBF one isn't bad though.

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

Anthony Joshua ordered to fight Alexander Povetkin by the WBA, i read that today.

Can't complain about mandatories, but Joshua fighting a non-roided Povetkin is just another highly paid vacation.

- And you can bet they'll have another bullshit ref, protecting the big guy like like they did with Parker, or like they did with Wlad vs Povetkin.

Besides, who gives a rat's patootie about the WBA?

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

The ref can be as honest as they come, it doesn't help you if you choose to stand outside your own range and make no real effort to fight the guy. Parker fought like a man who wasn't really bothered if he won or lost, and his comments after the fight were equally dispassionate, and that's on him not the referee.

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

The ref can be as honest as they come, it doesn't help you if you choose to stand outside your own range and make no real effort to fight the guy. Parker fought like a man who wasn't really bothered if he won or lost, and his comments after the fight were equally dispassionate, and that's on him not the referee.

True.

And how many OH rights did AJ throw?

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

True.

 

And how many OH rights did AJ throw?

I'm not saying Joshua was great but he did enough, as oppose to Parker who made no effort to step things up. It was a non-event and both should be embarrassed.

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

The ref can be as honest as they come, it doesn't help you if you choose to stand outside your own range and make no real effort to fight the guy. Parker fought like a man who wasn't really bothered if he won or lost, and his comments after the fight were equally dispassionate, and that's on him not the referee.

Parkers comments after the fight were pretty defeatist! That being said it's always pretty cringey when an obviously beaten fighter tries to lay claim he won the fight, so at least he was honest. But he didn't seem particularly all that bothered about it.

Re: Wilder offered 12.5 million dollars for Joshua fight

--- Parker knew he was gonna get stiffed by the BBbc and ref, so that's like complaining about getting a speeding ticket for doing 44 in a 40 zone. All it does is get you a contempt of court added.

uniformly in public comments, fans excoriated the ref far more than Josh or Parker. If you chaps want better fights, get better officiating. It ain't rocket science or bogus drug testing, it's about integrity that boxing seriously lacks.