After last month’s heavyweight title fight between Anthony Joshua (IBF, IBO WBA) and Joesph Parker (WBO), only two fighters remain to contend for the undisputed championship.
1987 was the last time two undefeated heavyweight boxers put everything on the line for ultimate glory when then undefeated WBC and WBA heavyweight champ ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson put his belts up against Tony Tucker, the undefeated IBF champ.
Tyson would win the fight and become the first undisputed undefeated heavyweight champion in history. Who will become the second, or better yet, will the fight even happen?
As this article is being written, Eddie Hearn (Joshua’s promoter) is heading to New York to set up a meeting with Wilder’s management to discuss the terms of the potential fight.
“We made an offer last week. We haven’t heard from them yet,” Hearn told Sky Sports News. “There’s been a bit of talking behind the scenes.
“We are in New York next week for the Danny Jacobs fight and Katie Taylor unification live on Sky Sports. “I’m going to look to meet up with them in New York, get face-to-face with them, look into the whites of their eyes, and just see if we can make a deal. We’ve made an offer that we feel is substantial, if not we’re happy to talk about the numbers and look at their ideas as well.”
To complicate matters further, the WBA (World Boxing Association) has ordered that Joshua defend his WBA Super title against Alexander Povetkin – possibly even before the unification bout with Wilder. However, Hearn has made it know that Joshua wants a shot at Wilder.
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
“Anthony’s made it clear – that’s the fight he wants next, the Deontay Wilder fight,” said Hearn.
“With these mandatories coming up as well, Povetkin, and the possible IBF mandatory, I’ve said before there’s not many opportunities to make an undisputed fight. Really, the focus is for us to make the Deontay Wilder fight next.
“If not, it has to be the one after, and we’ll have to deal with a mandatory in the meantime. It could be Alexander Povetkin.
“Generally from AJ’s side, from our side, from the team’s side, the Wilder fight is one we have no problems with at all. We’ve just got to find the right deal and we’ll be trying to do that next week in New York.”
If Joshua does not reach terms with his desired opponent (the first offer to Wilder of 12.5 million dollars has gone unanswered), he may be forced to fight his mandatory challenge in Povetkin or vacate the title.
The combination of bad luck and politics is the number one hindrance of anything in the boxing world. Just look at the debacle that is Jeff Horn versus Terrence Crawford – it is hard to say what is going to happen.
I certainly hope that it does go ahead since this type of event has not been seen for over 30 years and will give a whole new generation (myself included) a chance to witness a once in a generation fight.
The winner to be called the new undisputed and undefeated heavyweight champion of the world. I am still perplexed as to why Wilder never fought former champ Wladimir Klitschko in a unification bout, but hopefully this fight will get the green light.
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