AJ vs. Wilder - IS ON! According to Eddie

Saudis better go all out with that heavyweight card. Still believe it when I see it though...

 

It’s not on, nothing has been signed. Hearn is just moving the goalposts to keep Joshua away from another confidence shattering loss. It was supposed to go down in December, now first half of next year and when next year rolls around he’ll say December 2024.

 

"Hearn claims" is not proof of absolutely anything.

 

No it's not on, it's just talks. Someone needs to step-up and give them the money that they were originally proposed by Saudi. Otherwise the fight won't happen.

 

Guys will be 40+ by the time it happens.

 

Same day. Eddie Hearn announces Joshua-Hrogivc takes priority (May or June) and mumbles something about maybe Wilder as his voice trails off.

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Doubt it!

 

Consider me cynical, but I'm not convinced it happens for any money, certainly not that'd be available now.

Wilder has never wanted it.

Wilder likes to dangle it in front of gullible Eddie to raise his profile (trying to sell more PPV's of his low-risk bumfights) then messes around so much it's clear that he doesn't want it and then claims he's the one being ducked.

Then again, maybe Eddie knows full well Wilder's just messing around again but has to go through the motions to stop Wilder's gullible followers believing his nonsense about being ducked.


I'll believe this when they're in the ring and that bell goes, not a moment before.

 

If it ever happens, which it probably won't.

 

I honestly feel AJ or Hearn or both have always been reluctant to put him in with Wilder. His chin is too shaky and eventually he will get caught. The fight would be made now because Wilder has taken some punishment in those Fury fights and Fury should the way to handle Wilder and negate his only weapon. But even Fury who is way more elusive then AJ was caught multiple times. I always felt Wilder would stop AJ and still think so if this fight happens.

 

As a longtime Wilder fan, I always thought Wilder would call it a career after he lost his title. He got into boxing to help his daughter. He earned generational wealth along the way.

When Wilder lost to Fury in their rematch, he activated his rematch clause, took him before a judge to force a third fight. Got it. Came close to regaining it but didn't. Took nearly a year off and came back to KO Helenius in one.

If that was it, then that was a good way to end it. He ends his career with a win.

Then there was talk of the two exhibitions with Ngannou in Saudi (which Fury snatched up). Then there was the Saudi opportunity against Joshua for mega-millions. He went to Saudi. Met with them. Felt he could work with them. And then the guys running Saudi boxing changed, and that seems to be the end of that total waste of time.

So, I wouldn't be surprised if Wilder is done.

Wilder may not announce he's retired. Floyd Patterson didn't. There were offers for Patterson here and there (even an offer to fight Ali in 1978, which Floyd turned down) ... and at some point people realized Patterson hadn't fought since 1972 and he was probably retired.

I think Wilder's name keeps getting tossed around for a while by people who clearly have no interest in actually getting in the ring with him.

But, unless it's an event-type fight coming soon, like Joshua (which isn't going to happen now), or Usyk (which likely won't, either) ... I just don't know if he's really interested.

Once the ratings bodies start removing him from the rankings, and there are no fights signed, I think that'll be it.

 

Wilder and Joshua both made deals with the Saudis. They both wanted it. They both agreed. Hearn has said repeatedly Wilder and his team were on board. They (Joshua's team) were on board. The Saudis are the ones the moved off and went another way.

Hearn promotes Joshua. Hearn promotes Hrgovic. Hearn is on film above saying if it comes down to Joshua-Wilder and Joshua-Hrgovic, Joshua is going with Hrgovic.

Click play at the 4:55 mark. He states it matter-of-factly. Hearn says the Joshua-Wilder fight is bigger, but Joshua and Hrgovic would be for the vacant belt, so that fight is the priority.

I don't care what you think happened in 2017 or 2018. This is 2023. They had agreed to fight. They agreed to terms. The Saudis bailed. And now Hearn is saying if it's a fight between Joshua-Wilder or Joshua-Hrgovic, JOSHUA's team is taking Hrgovic.

So enough of the bull that Wilder never wanted it. He agreed to fight Joshua and has been waiting all year to fight Joshua and was training for Joshua up until a week or so ago.

That issue is dead.

 

As long as it isn't ppv this is a good fight.