Anthony Joshua wants to fight Deontay Wilder next but negotiations must avoid “fantasy”, insists promoter Eddie Hearn.
Talks to agree a world heavyweight title unification fight began on Thursday and, with Joseph Parker an alternative option for Joshua, Wilder has been warned not to scupper his chance.
“We have to find middle ground between reality and fantasy. If we can find the right deal, there is no reason why that fight can’t happen next,” Hearn told Sky Sports News. “Honestly, through experience, that’s the hard part.
The Wilder fight will happen in 2018 unquestionably. It’s just a case of whether it’s next, in the summer and, importantly, where it [takes place].
“It doesn’t happen overnight, this is the first meeting [on Thursday] – it may go well, it may go terribly, it may go OK. Fans need to know we are being proactive.
“We want the fight. The Wilder fight will happen in 2018 unquestionably. It’s just a case of whether it’s next, in the summer and, importantly, where it [takes place].
“The major issue in these negotiations is to deal with egos. You have two world champions – one is the biggest star in world boxing and one, if you walk the streets of Manhattan and ask if people know the name ‘Deontay Wilder’, the answer will be no.”