Deontay Wilder co-manager/trainer says they expect a contract as early as tomorrow
ESPN’s Dan Rafael broke the news that Deontay Wilder has accepted all of Anthony Joshua’s fight terms. FanSided talked exclusively with Wilder’s co-manager and trainer Jay Deas for more details.
Earlier today, ESPN‘s Dan Rafael wrote that Deontay Wilder and his team accepted all of Anthony Joshua’s fight demands for an impending megafight between the two boxing superstars.
Rafael’s report cited Wilder’s co-manager Shelly Finkel as the source of his information.
Finkel told ESPN: “We have agreed to the terms that Eddie has put out to us for a fight in the U.K. Deontay has accepted his terms to fight in the U.K.,” Finkel said. “Deontay sent an email to Joshua [Sunday] night, and I sent one [Monday] to Barry Hearn and Eddie telling them that we officially accept the offer to fight under the terms they gave us and to send us the contract.”
The terms that Team Joshua outlined to Wilder and his representatives are unknown at this moment. For clarity on the possibility of a fight getting signed, FanSided talked exclusively to Wilder’s co-manager and trainer Jay Deas.
Deas summarized the situation saying, “We made Joshua a $50 million offer, which is exactly what he said he wanted, and he still turned it down. Then they made us an offer, which was considerably less money, and Deontay still said yes.” Deas continued, “That brings us up to today. Deontay is willing to take less than market value for this fight because he wants to do it for the fans and his legacy.”
Joshua’s counteroffer to Wilder came recently. ” It was recently that they made the offer and we totally believe we have a fight,” said Deas. “We’re on. We’re just waiting on them to send the contract.”
Deas elaborated that Joshua’s management sent their fight terms within the last week or two. He also confirmed that the offer they accepted was considerably less than the $50 million they originally offered Joshua.
“He’s [Wilder] not being compensated anywhere near what we offered Joshua,” added Deas. “There’s no question about that.”
Wilder and his team are not releasing the exact financial details of Johsua’s offer at this time. The first offer Joshua’s team offered Wilder was $12.5 million, which they promptly rejected. Common sense would suggest that Joshua’s offer to Wilder was more than $12.5 million and less than $50 million. That’s a wide gap, but there aren’t more details available at this time.
With Wilder accepting Joshua’s terms, Wilder’s team is hopeful that the fight will be signed shortly. The fight would take place in the U.K.
As far as a fight date goes, Wilder’s team is ready to go ASAP. “We can do it tonight,” joked Deas. “We can do it on the moon as far as I’m concerned. We’re not the problem. Our attitude is ‘Yes!'”
All of the fight terms are hypothetical until fight terms are in the form of a contract and signed by both boxers. Deas expects a contract very soon. “I think we’ll have a contract by tomorrow—48 hours at the lastest,” said Deas. “It’s not rocket science. They have this new thing called email. They can send it to us and we’ll sign it.”
It’s clear that Wilder wants this fight, but there is still a possibility that Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, could renege on his offer. They were in talks with Alexander Povetkin’s team if a deal with Wilder fell through.
Deas believes that Joshua’s team will finalize the deal, but that they would face unrelenting criticism if they backed out at this juncture. Deas said, “My heart says it’s on. If they try to wiggle or worm their way out of it that’s a whole different thought process as far as the world coming down on them which they should.”
Wilder’s team doesn’t want to think about the possibility of Joshua’s team running away from accepting their own fight offer, but they dread the prospect that they avoid the fight.
If they don’t accept their own offer this shows Deas believes that “it would say they never wanted Anthony anywhere near wilder in a ring.”
Next: Terence Crawford viciously stops Jeff Horn in 9
Stay tuned to FanSided for the latest on this developing story. Hopefully, Wilder’s team receives the contract they were offered from Joshua.