I know it's getting done to the death and everybody is probably a bit bored of the disucssion about it but I have a genuine question about recent events in the negotiations. Now let me start by clarifying i'm not an AJ 'fanboy'. Im just a boxing fan, end of. I don't normally like to hear about the splits etc because I dont really care. However, when it starts to put the blockers on a fight it bothers me. In this instance I believe it's 100% fair that AJ gets the lions share for reasons we don't need to go over again. However, what is this nonsensical 'flat fee' that Hearn has offered Wilder all about? How can you offer a flat fee and make it sound fair? Ok so its 5 times Wilders highest purse, BUT IMO the only reason you're offering a flat fee is because you know the fight is going to do more money than you're letting on. Otherwise, why? Surely a % split is much safer than a flat fee, because if it doesnt do as well as you project then both parties take a hit on their earnings, in the instance of a flat fee if the money didn't do as well as projected then the only side that's going to lose out is AJ. Hearn is being snakey here IMO. Yes AJ definitely brings the finances to the fight in the main, but this fight also generates more revenue than AJ's fights to date because he's fighting Wilder, simple as that. Play fair Eddie and get the fight made.
If the fight makes more money than there letting on then Wilder's team are free to crunch the numbers and prove otherwise. AJ has said they can pay him $50 mil from this supposed $100 mil and he will sign tomorrow.
Forget all that. The numbers are just a projection until the money is actually in. I'm not even saying the fight does this supposed 100 mil. What I'm saying is, the ONLY reason you would offer a flat fee is if you think there is a very very good chance it will end up in your favour. Otherwise WHY? Just give the man his percentage. yes AJ brings the money, I'm not disputing. But let's not pretend actually becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion doesn't also bring further riches AJ's way. If he beats Wilder he is making mega money fight after fight after that, so it's not as though there is nothing to gain for AJ. Hearn and AJ are starting to make it sound like they're a charity doing people favours. People have to get paid. Eddie moaning about over paying from day 1...well yes obviously, initially they marketed AJ as some sort of Tysonesque wrecking machine, so of course his early opponents wanted paying for their chins. Now he is a world champion generateing mega money so quite rightly, again, people want paying!
Like all negotiations it will take a while to play out. It's potentially a monster event if promoted correctly that will launch a genuine global superstar, so both sides are going to want to get the best deal they can. In a roundabout way, negotiations are part of the hype these days anyway. They both need each other to a certain extent. Wilder is not box office on his own, and can only really get to that level by beating Joshua. AJ is the money guy, but him and Eddie can't yabber on endlessly about unifying the belts as some kind of mission if they don't ultimately fight Wilder (or whoever is holding the WBC strap). As long as both keep winning the fight will happen at some point. It probably won't be next, and there'll be a lot of faff before it gets to the point where contracts are signed.
6 times more than he’s ever earned for a fight. That’s not BS. Where’s the counter offer? Was meant to come Friday, it’s now Tuesday.
The fight will not happen if the only deal is a flat fee anybody with any sense knows that. I’m not going to blame Hearn/AJ at this point as it’s all part of the negotiations for what must be an incredibly complex deal when you factor in not only the fighters, but the various managers/ advisors and tv situations involved. I believe secretly both parties will be happy for the fight to be delayed until 2019. After the Ortiz fight, Wilder has just made the break through in the US. It got high viewing figures and a good crowd in the Barclays. It would make good sense to build on that with another defence soon and Breazeale would be a good opponent to fit the bill. Hearn is basing his figures on UK market as he points out the US revenue it could bring is unknown, but one thing us brits have to remember - If the Americans buy into they will easily be able to blow us out of the water financially - especially if the Vegas commission decide they want to host the fight. Hearn / AJ can talk rubbish about the fight must be here first all he wants - his own father said to Shelly Finkel in that email the fight should be in Vegas
That's why they offered a flat fee because Wilder wanted a percentage that was just unrealistic so they to try and get a deal they have changed it to a flat fee, a lot easier to work with and everybody knows where they stand. I can't agree with you that this is on Hearn and Joshua, Wilder is being offered 5-6 times his best ever purse. Wilder would have chance to win everything in a fight he apparently is desperate for and Wilder and his Team don't really have to lift a finger, Hearn promotes it, sells it, sticks the event on. Remember Wilder hasn't had one unification fight, AJ has had two, Joshua has done most of the work here already. So what more does Wilder actually want? AJ will earn huge money regardless who he fights, Wilder will not and that's the problem Wilder has now, if he plays hardball for much longer it will all move on and he is stuck earning next to nothing (for a Heavyweight Champion) in fights that nobody is really interested in. Also Whyte will be Wilders mandatory, that should be called soon and if Hearn wants to prove a point then Wilder won't earn much for that either. Hearn can just let it go to purse bids and not bid, make Wilders side pay up, put the fight on and sell the tickets and TV and then he can point his finger and say "look at the state of those lot" if it doesn't generate good money, doesn't do good numbers.. Hearn will be proved correct in his assessment that Wilder doesn't bring much to the table, then Wilder might be offered even less for an AJ fight. This is what Hearn has been doing for a while, he has been getting Whyte in to a position to force the Wilder fight for a lot less than he originally offered. That's an embarrassing look for Wilder, probably getting around 1.5 million for a fight he could have taken for 3-4 times more than that. Add in the fact if he can't sell that fight then it's hard to come back to the table with Hearn and Joshua and demand what he is demanding now without looking ridiculous. So I believe it's in Wilders best interests to accept that offer, take a career high payday and fight Joshua now.
If Wilder were to actually end up with £8.8m, yes thats ridiculous. yes its 4 times his biggest payday, but he is the one who is making the fight as big as it is. in that, I dont mean hes the star, I mean hes the biggest star Joshua can fight and get that amount of money for. Let me put it this way, when you're buying a house, do you put in your best offer first or do you try to get it for as low as feasibly possible? in any form of business, you're not gonna go in with your best offer, especially when the person you're buying from, has already lowered his asking price
You totally misunderstood OP's point. It's not that simple. Wilder has to come to the UK. What if he gets jobbed on the cards or hampered by a poor ref? Joshua was up on the cards against Wlad at the start of the final round when any sane scorer had Wlad up. Even Sky had Wlad up on all pundit cards. In Joshua's last fight the referee prevented Parker from working inside when every sane boxing fan acknowledged pre-fight that Parker's best chances of winning come in range. It's a simple fact: if you want to make the fight you offer a percentage split. No sane manager is going to let his fighter sign up to a flat fee deal in a unification fight of this magnitude. Hearn is either trying to massively job Wilder financially or intentionally make the terms unacceptable. Either way he looks bad. Dan Rafael is a massive twat and it pains me to cite him or even agree with him but his view on the negotiations are spot on.
This is incorrect, Wilder has stated he is happy to accept far less than 50% split so long as the reverse split is applied in the rematch if Wilder wins. Hearn was in an interview with MJP where he said he would accept that proposal - then he goes on to make a flat fee offer. All Wilder wants is a percentage split and then the reverse applied in a second fight if he wins. He has made it clear that he is not expecting 50%. Making a flat fee offer with that in mind is intentionally trying to prevent the fight from happening.
It is quite simple....the AJ /Matchroom team do not want the fight...YET I think AJ will have a few fights such as Povetkin/Miller/Pulev and wait for Wilder to either get old or get beat ... 2020 he will fight Wilder and Fury and retire
I think both sides are to blame. Hearn made that flat fee offer knowing it would not be accepted. My view is that if a mandatory gets 25% then Wilder should get at least that. Wilder has a belt but Joshua has three belts and brings all the money, so about 30-35% seems about right. However, from the other side you get the impression that Wilder has about 6 managers all of whom will have their own interests, and none have made much talk about making any serious concessions.
Hearn talks complete ****... I do think overall he has been good for UK boxing but ****sake his shows are dreadful now...Without AJ what has he got ?