Joshua ‘swerved’ Wilder fight, claims Frank Warren
Tyson Fury’s promoter Frank Warren has claimed that Anthony Joshua ‘swerved’ a contest with Deontay Wilder.
Holding four of five heavyweight championship belts following his March victory against Joseph Parker in Cardiff, Joshua had the option of setting up a division unification fight with WBC champion Wilder.
However, friction in the negotiating process between Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn and Wilder’s manager Shelly Finkel meant time ran out on the possibility of organising the fight for later this year.
The Watford-native will instead square off against Alexander Povetkin at Wembley on September 22.
Despite fighting the number three heavyweight in the world instead of the number two in Wilder, Warren has no doubt in his mind who is responsible for the failure of the negotiations.
Quoted by ESPN, Warren said:
The reasons fights don’t happen are, one, money, and two, if they don’t fancy it.
If someone guarantees you $80 million, $50 million for the first and $30 million for the second, that tells me you don’t fancy a fight.
The only reason this fight is not being made is because either Anthony Joshua, or his management or trainers don’t want the fight, otherwise it would be made.
Hearn had been insistent on the fight taking place in the United Kingdom, and despite an oral agreement with the Wilder-camp, Matchroom Sport failed to receive a contract signed by Wilder to get the fight booked in.