Joshua and Wilder resume talks as Hearn gets reply to fight offer

Eddie Hearn has finally received a reply from Deontay Wilder’s camp as he plots a titanic heavyweight clash between the Bronze Bomber and his star fighter Anthony Joshua. The promoter is mapping out Joshua’s route to a potential world title fight after his damaging consecutive defeats to the unbeaten Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk.

Joshua is not set to make his ring return until 2023 after negotiations broke down with Tyson Fury over a highly-anticipated Battle of Britain. And plenty of alternate opponents have been mooted as the 33-year-old looks to get his career back on track.

Wilders manager Shelly Finkel recently admitted ignoring Hearn’s offer concerning a fight against Joshua or another boxer in his Matchroom stable, Dillian Whyte. The American knockout artist instead forced a brutal first round stoppage against Robert Helenius after returning from two defeats of his own against WBC champion Fury. 

But Hearn has now confirmed that talks are back on after Finkel belatedly responded to his email. And a 2023 bout between Wilder and Joshua could finally be on the cards after an initial deal publicly broke down four years ago.

A possible battle against Wilder represents a genuine superfight for Joshua, who Hearn insists will not shirk an opponent on his road back to the top. Whyte, meanwhile, returns to the ring on November 26 against Jermaine Franklin after his world title defeat to Fury in April.

And Hearn is considering all of Joshua’s options with Wilder now a serious contender to fight the Brit in a tantalising heavyweight clash next year.

“I think it all depends on when AJ fights, if he waits until April or May, he may go straight into the Dillian Whyte fight, if he fights in February, he may have a warm-up fight first,” Hearn said. “He’s coming to Abu Dhabi this week; we are sitting down with him to plan the next step and we’re on the verge of mapping that out.”