Joshua v Fury assessed as promoter gives three-word reply to contracts

Wasserman Boxing chief Kalle Sauerland believes that the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua contracts are ‘the real deal’ as speculation rises over whether the fight will happen. Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, was initially sceptical over Fury’s offer to defend his WBC title against AJ but has since come round to the idea, having received the paperwork.

The pair are expected to square off on December 3 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, with personal terms being agreed upon by both parties. Fury will receive a lion’s share of the purse at a 60/40 split with a rematch clause being signed into the contract.

Speaking about the legitimacy of the deal, Sauerland – who promotes the likes of Chris Eubank Jr and Mairis Briedis – told iFL TV: “I think the fact that they have received the contract and knowing Ed, if it was a bluff and it was a s*** contract I’m sure there would have been something out there within seconds. You know a dud contract when you see one so it must be the real deal. I think it’s on.”

Having lost back-to-back fights to Oleksandr Usyk in his last two contests, many believe AJ is jumping back into the deep end too soon. Among them is his own trainer Robert Garcia, who admitted he would prefer to see his fighter have ‘two or three more bouts’ before taking on The Gypsy King.

“At the same time when you’re earning, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy million dollars a fight. He’s still a huge attraction but let’s face it if he fights someone in the top fifteen, what can he earn? Five to ten million?

“That sounds a lot of money but not when you’ve been on that and you’re thinking ‘right, I’ve got to box eight times for that now? I’ve got to box eight times when I can box Fury for that and he’ll be thinking ‘hey, well Wilder knocked him down a few times, I’ll keep him down’.”