Wilder rejecting $100m DAZN deal shows he ‘does not want’ Anthony Joshua showdown, claims Barry Hearn
The Bronze Bomber and his team held talks with the sports streaming service - but later announced he will fight Dominic Breazeale on rival network Showtime instead
DEONTAY WILDER'S decision to snub a £75million deal with DAZN and fight Dominic Breazeale on Showtime instead shows he doesn't want the Anthony Joshua fight, Barry Hearn claims.
Wilder, 33, and his team held talks with sports streaming service DAZN, who broadcast AJ’s fights in the US, and it is reported a $100m (£75m) three-fight deal was put to the WBC champ.
However, The Bronze Bomber yesterday announced he will fight his mandatory challenger Breazeale, 33, next on Showtime - seemingly confirming the DAZN offer had been rebuffed.
Barry Hearn, father of Joshua’s promoter Eddie, told Wilder’s decision to snub the three-fight deal is proof the American wants nothing to do with unified champion AJ.
Eddie [Hearn] has been pushing so hard to make the Wilder-Joshua fight but it just isn't there.
Barry Hearn
Hearn said: "Wilder rejecting this (DAZN) deal shows what he is thinking. Luckily the boxing fans today are smart enough to see that he doesn’t want to get in the ring with Anthony Joshua.
“Nobody does and that's the problem. He can say anything he wants but it's obvious to everyone now that this is not coming from our side.
“Wilder has signed up with Showtime and that makes this fight so much harder to make. We made this offer to try and make it easier but there you go.
“It's a shame because Eddie (Hearn) has been pushing so hard to make the Wilder-Joshua fight but it just isn't there.
“Wilder has been offered $100 million but he thinks he can earn good money fighting lesser opponents and then build up the purse to fight Joshua later down the line.”
The Matchroom Boxing boss went on to suggest Tyson Fury, 30, who drew with Wilder in December, is afraid of Joshua, 29, having declined a deal to challenge for his world titles.
Hearn added: “Fury is the same, he doesn't want to know. We made him an offer and he turned us down. Neither of them actually want to fight Joshua.
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"They are all signed up to different television networks and that is a real issue from the promotional side of things. I just can't see how these fights happen.
“The problem is none of them want to get beat. No one is blinking. If they get beat everything is off the table. Even for Joshua.
“Fury is in the worst position because he doesn’t have a title so he has no pulling power and I think out of the three of them he is the most beatable."
