Boxing news: Winner of Wilder vs Fury II deserves 50/50 Anthony Joshua split - Barry Hearn
BARRY HEARN has admitted that the winner of Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury deserves a 50/50 split when they come to fight Anthony Joshua.
Anthony Joshua: I would LOVE to fight Tyson Fury
Developments this week have suggested Joshua will fight Jarrell Miller in USA this June after talks with Dillian Whyte came to an impasse.
Eddie Hearn had tried to negotiate with both Wilder and Fury, but had no luck.
Wilder and his team reportedly aired his approaches while Fury was amenable but ostensibly too ambitious on the lump sum he was after.
The pair were expected to rematch anyway after the WBC order and a deal is expected to be announced before purse bids supposedly open on February 5.
Joshua’s biggest paydays would come against those heavyweight rivals, but the Englishman is now resigned to fighting Miller in June, which he seemingly clarified in a leaked voice message.
Matchroom Sport - the company which promotes AJ - chairman Barry Hearn, father of Eddie, has admitted that Joshua’s worth will be equal to winner of Wilder vs Fury II, however.
Speaking to iFL TV about the impending deals for both heavyweight match-ups, Hearn said: “Both of them technically don’t give me a problem at all about Anthony Joshua.
“I’m very calm and very comfortable with both of those fights - not to the point of arrogance or complacency.
They’re just technically not in Anthony Joshua’s class. And until one of them beats him, I believe I’m right.
“They’re just technically not in Anthony Joshua’s class. And until one of them beats him, I believe I’m right.”
The WBC rematch is expected to happen in late April, according to Wilder.
But Hearn worries that, should Fury win, The Bronze Bomber will have a rematch clause to regain his strap, which he controversially defended against the Englishman via a split decision draw in December.
When asked whether the rematch winner will warrant 50 per cent of the purse when they come to fight AJ, Hearn replied: “Probably, I think. Realistically.
“But, of course, it won’t happen. If Tyson Fury wins because there’ll be a rematch clause for Deontay Wilder.
“Deontay Wilder is the WBC champion, Tyson Fury is the champion of nothing. He’s a great fighter but he has no belts.”