Wilder, Joshua agree to fight deal

ESPN has reported that Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder have agreed to terms for a heavyweight unification bout in Britain later in the year.

World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Wilder has accepted an offer by Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, says Shelly Finkel, one of Wilder’s co-managers

“We have agreed to the terms that Eddie has put out to us for a fight in the UK,” Wilder was quoted by ESPN as saying.

“Deontay has accepted his terms to fight in the UK. Deontay sent an email to Joshua and I sent to Barry Hearn and Eddie telling them that we officially accept the offer to fight under the terms they gave us and to send us the contract,” Finkel further said.

The report says that the offer proposes a two-fight deal with a rematch to take place in the United States next year.

British 2012 Olympic champion Joshua unified the World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization heavyweight titles by out-pointing New Zealand’s Joseph Parker on March 31.

The winner this Joshua-Wilder bout would be the first man to hold all four heavyweight titles – WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO at the same time. If the fight is confirmed, it will be the biggest bout seen in the division in years.

Joshua, 28, won his first world title in 2016 and has made five defenses, taking his record to 21-0 with 20 knockouts.

Wilder, 32, had an impressive 40-0 with 39 knockouts when he knocked out previously unbeaten Cuban Luis Ortiz in the 10th round in Brooklyn, New York, on March 3.