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Eddie Hearn, promoter for heavyweight contender Anthony Joshua, is waiting to receive a contract for a 2024 showdown with Deontay Wilder.
The battle of former world champions is targeted to take place on a date in January in Saudi Arabia.
Hearn was in serious discussions with Saudi-based Skill Challenge Entertainment, who were interested in staging the event. SCE have now been replaced by a different Saudi entity – the company which is financing next month’s showdown between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou.
While Joshua and Wilder are ready to fight each other – the new Saudi entity would have to stake the necessary funds to make it happen and those financial terms would have to be guaranteed in writing.
At this point, Hearn is unsure of Joshua’s next move but their priority it to finalize the Wilder fight.
“We’ve agreed terms for Joshua-Wilder, but until we receive a contract the fight is not happening,” Hearn told Boxing King Media.
“Politically, it sounds like there’s a lot going on. For us, we are ready to take that fight. [Wilder’s co-manager] Shelly Finkel and I have spoken, they are ready to take that fight. It doesn’t just have to happen in Saudi Arabia. There are now other talks about other countries that it could take place in.
“There is a movement of management and ownership of boxing in Saudi and it’s up to them what they want to do. If they don’t do Joshua-Wilder maybe it goes somewhere else. It’s one of the biggest fights in heavyweight boxing, we are being told they do [want to do it]. I really wouldn’t be surprised if Joshua ended up fighting Fury.”
Joshua saw action in April, when he secured a twelve round unanimous decision win over Jermaine Franklin. He returned in August to score a one-punch knockout of late replacement Robert Helenius.