Alexander Povetkin's promoter Andrey Ryabinskiy has told ESPN that a deal to fight Anthony Joshua is close to being sealed -- hinting that details could emerge within a week.
Povetkin is Joshua's mandatory challenger for his WBA belt, but the Englishman and his trainer Rob McCracken are keen to unify the division by fighting WBC champion Deontay Wilder next instead.
Talks have been going on between Joshua's camp and Wilder's, but Ryabinsky believes it will be Povetkin stepping into the ring next with the WBA-IBF-WBO titleholder.
"Negotiations with Eddie [Hearn] are going good," Ryabinskiy said. "We have worked together before and feel that have a good enough relationship to handle things in a partner like manner.
"In the next week we hope to be able to provide more information on the location of the fight and the date.
"I think that Joshua will follow his obligations with the WBA and perform his mandatory against Povetkin."
However, Wilder's camp are 'optimistic' that a deal can be reached with location thought to be the main stumbling block in getting the fight signed off.
"I met with Eddie's father, Barry [Hearn, head of Matchroom], this past Friday in New York and it was a good meeting," Shelly Finkel, one of Wilder's co-managers told ESPN earlier this week. "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."
The WBA are likely to sanction a unification fight between Joshua and Wilder provided that Povetkin fights the winner for the WBA belt.