If you believe Eddie Hearn after one of his most recent interviews, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder could be fighting very soon assuming they both win their upcoming matchups. In fact, Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, made it clear who Joshua will target if he beats Joseph Parker next month.
“Wilder is the one we want,” Hearn told Fighthype. “He’s got a tough fight against Luis Ortiz. But the only fight we’re interested in is belt-holders.”
That’s why Joshua, who holds two of the heavyweight titles and who is No. 2 on the latest Pound-For-Pound Moneymakers list, is facing Parker, who holds one of his own belts, on March 31. Wilder, meanwhile, will defend his version of the title against Luis Ortiz on March 3 on what is part of Showtime’s fantastic run of fights in the first half of 2018.
For now, Wilder is a -400 betting favorite against Ortiz, meaning you’d have to bet $400 to win $100 (Ortiz is +300). Joshua, at -1100, is an even bigger favorite to beat Parker. Assuming Wilder and Joshua both manage to win, Hearn will look to match them together.
Negotiations, though, might not be easy.
In the past, Hearn has said Wilder would not make anywhere near a 50-50 split of the purse vs. Joshua, but after brutally knocking out Bermane Stiverne in November, Wilder said, “The world wants Joshua. They want Wilder. I want Joshua. Joshua, come and see me, baby. No more hiding. No more ducking. No more dodging. No more excuses. Let’s make the fight happen. Let’s see who’s the best. I know I’m the best. Are you up for the test?”
Parker is set to receive somewhere between 30-35% of the purse split when he fights Joshua. Which means Wilder, with his much larger name recognition and his ability to sell a fight, probably deserves somewhere in the 40% range.