ANTHONY JOSHUA’s blockbuster undisputed heavyweight title fight with Tyson Fury has been made possible by Deontay Wilder ‘getting paid to step aside’, it’s been claimed.
The biggest fight in the history of British boxing is close to being announced, although a venue and date still need to be finalised.
And ESPN’s Max Kellerman has claimed the fight has been made possible by former WBC king Wilder receiving a huge payoff.
He said: “Don’t look too much in the contracts because Deontay Wilder has got to be getting paid to step aside.
“When you get step aside money when you’re next with a contract, it ain’t a hundred grand.
“It’s five to ten million dollars. So, Deontay is getting money just for waiting.”
Wilder, 35, took legal action late last year in a bid to land a third fight with Fury, which he believes he’s contractually obliged to.
Team Fury, however, insist the American’s rematch clause expired last October.
In January, Wilder’s co-manager – Shelly Finkel – claimed they were still pursuing a third fight with The Gypsy King.
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He told World Boxing News: “The mediation between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury has not yet ended.”
But the imminent announcement of Joshua vs Fury suggests they’ve ended their pursuit of a third fight for the time being.
The previously-undefeated Wilder hasn’t fought since his emphatic dethroning at the hands of Fury last February.
A showdown with former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr has been mooted for the Olympic bronze medallist, who recently vowed to regain his title and clean out the entire division.
In an interview with Marcus Watson, he said: “I’d love to fight guys I haven’t fought, you know, the ones at the top who I haven’t fought.
“That’s what I want and I know that’s kinda lame a little bit, to not name a name.
“But anyone I haven’t faced at the top, that’s you.”
When asked about Joshua or Ruiz, Wilder responded: “Yeah. Any fighter that’s at the top that people haven’t seen me fight and people strongly want to see me fight, that’s who I want to fight.
“I can sit here and name names all day, that’s the easy part.
“I’m just going to go to the top and once you go to the top and it’s someone I ain’t fought, that’s who I want to fight.
“I want to clean the division out, period.”
