WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua 22-0 (21) turned down a USD $80 million deal to face American WBC counterpart Deontay Wilder 40-0 (39).
That’s the word according to lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury 29-0 (17).
Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast ahead of his December 1 bout against Wilder, Fury revealed details of the deal.
“I know some quite close details on that,” said Fury. “The details are: Wilder’s team offered Joshua’s team £61 million (USD $80 million) for a two-fight deal.
“£38 million (USD $50 million) for the first fight and £23 million (USD $30 million) for the rematch if Joshua lost. And they declined that.
“And my lawyer, Robert Davis, he saw proof of funds from Al Haymon.
“So Eddie Hearn and his chum buddies can say all this, that and the other. But I know the truth because proof of funds was seen.”
The self-styled ‘Gypsy King’ believes there is little chance of Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing coming to the party and making a fight with him for all of the heavyweight titles if he is victorious over ‘The Bronze Bomber’.
“It’s about money. Keeping the golden goose laying them eggs and looking after it,” said Fury. “The thing is with Anthony Joshua, he’s an Olympic gold medallist and in the UK he’s a massive star.
He sells out stadiums; 70,000, 90,000 [people]. Huge star. So why would you want to get him beat by somebody nobody has really heard of?
“They took the risk in the [Wladimir] Klitschko fight. It almost didn’t pay off. They scraped through by the skin of their teeth. But he done it, fair play.
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