The camps for heavyweight world titleholders Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder continue to talk about putting their highly anticipated undisputed championship fight together for the fall, even though Joshua has a backup plan in a mandatory defense against Alexander Povetkin.
Shelly Finkel, one of Wilder's co-managers, told ESPN on Monday night that he is "optimistic" that a deal can be struck for the world's top big men to fight this fall and that the location of the fight is not an issue on their side.
Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing has said that Joshua and trainer/manager Rob McCracken want the fight in the United Kingdom. Finkel said it is not an issue.
"I met with Eddie's father, Barry [Hearn, head of Matchroom], this past Friday in New York and it was a good meeting," Finkel said. "I'm hopeful that they will get back to me this week and that something can be done to make the fight in the fall. I'm optimistic.
"If [fighting in the United Kingdom] is a condition for us to get the fight, that will not be an impediment on our side. There are still some roads to cross but hopefully it will happen and we'll see the fight this year. If we're going to make the fight, the place where it will take place isn't going to be the problem. We have no problem going to the U.K. It never was a problem. Deontay has never had a problem with that."
After Hearn offered Wilder a $12.5 million flat fee for the fight with no participation in the profits of what figures to be a nine-figure bonanza, Wilder countered with an offer of $50 million against 50 percent of the total revenue with no rematch clause with the intention of bringing the bout to Las Vegas or New York, but Joshua did not accept.
Finkel said they continue to work with Joshua's side on the split of the revenue.
"We've had conversations and I think the gap is close," he said. "We feel it's a lot closer."
Finkel also said the Wilder camp was open to doing a two-fight deal that would contemplate a rematch.
Barry Hearn said whatever happens needs to be done soon.
"They've got to make a decision realistically in the next few days," he said. "I think both of them want to fight each other, but there's obviously hurdles to come over. Is Wembley [Stadium] available? What's the American pay-per-view situation for American broadcasters on a show in the U.K.? Is it the right time to fight Deontay Wilder? Fight's only going to get bigger. Fight fans will tell you, 'We must see it now!' Of course, they're not involved in the financials.
"The last word on this is Anthony Joshua's. Our job is to say, 'Here is the menu, you pick the main course,' because Anthony Joshua calls the shots. He's the financial king in heavyweight boxing and in the world of boxing. There's no one running close. He makes the call."
If Joshua-Wilder happens this year it would take place between September and December. Complicating matters is the American television situation, which would be a significant component of revenue. Joshua's fights are on Sky Sports Box Office pay-per-view in the U.K., but his contract with Showtime recently expired. Matchroom just entered into an eight-year, $1 billion deal (with only two years guaranteed) with the Perform Group's DAZN sports streaming service, which is set to launch in the United States later this month.
Matchroom Boxing's slate of fight cards is due to kick off in September, and certainly a Joshua-Wilder fight on the service would raise its currently nonexistent American profile, but it would also limit the U.S. revenue for the bout.
Joshua could also fight Povetkin in a mandatory bout, though it is a dangerous fight and likely worth significantly less than a fight with Wilder. Eddie Hearn and Vadim Kornilov, one of Povetkin's representatives, are working on a deal though the Povetkin camp is aware that it is the backup plan to Wilder.
"We are finalizing negotiations for Joshua versus Povetkin for September of this year. We are hoping to come to a deal by the end of the month," Kornilov told ESPN. "Joshua versus Povetkin is the most competitive fight in the heavyweight division today. Wilder versus Joshua has a lot more hype, but in my opinion Povetkin is a much tougher opponent for Joshua and it's a 50-50 fight."
Eddie Hearn told British sports radio giant talkSport that Joshua's next fight will take place in the United Kingdom and that Joshua "will box in September. Wilder has got two options. He can agree to fight Joshua in September or in December or February.
"[Joshua] wants to box in the U.K. next. We've extended that offer to Wilder. Everything is good in terms of the spirit between the two camps. We're talking. Povetkin is ready to go, so we have to make our move shortly. I reckon in the next week or two we'll be looking to make a decision. We need to decide whether it's Wilder or Povetkin next because the clock is ticking and Joshua is ready to get back in camp and defend his title. An announcement on the next Joshua fight is coming within the next week or two."
Finkel said he is aware that Povetkin (34-1, 24 KOs), 38, of Russia, is a fallback option for Joshua, but that the Wilder side is not looking at other opponents yet.
"We're not even thinking about it," he said. "we're hopeful to make this fight. This is the fight we're focusing on only. Our goal is to make the fight with Joshua and that's all we feel we should focus on."
The 28-year-old Joshua (21-0, 20 KOs) won a world title in 2016 and has made five defenses, including a 10th-round knockout of former longtime unified world champion Wladimir Klitschko in the consensus 2017 fight of the year and unifying three belts with a decision win against Joseph Parker on March 31 in Cardiff, Wales.
Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs), 32, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, won his belt in 2015 and has made seven title defenses, including scoring a massive 10th-round knockout of then-unbeaten top contender Luis "King Kong" Ortiz in a riveting fight on March 3 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.