Nigeria’s Unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua insists a future meeting with WBC champion Deontay Wilder or fellow Briton Tyson Fury will not be held up by television companies.
Joshua, Wilder and Fury are now signed to rival US broadcasters, making future negotiations arguably more difficult. “Broadcasters are a platform to make our dreams come true,” Joshua said. Joshua will fight in the US for the first time when he defends his IBF, WBA and WBO titles against Jarrell Miller. The pair will meet in New York on 1 June at the iconic Madison Square Garden – also the site of Tuesday’s news conference. Joshua, 29, says he will “beat and knock out” 30-year-old American Miller – who began Tuesday’s encounter by using both hands to shove Joshua and send him stumbling backwards on the stage – before turning his attention back to a unification bout.
Wilder went on to face Fury in December, retaining his belt after an enthralling draw in Los Angeles which has left both men – and the public – eager for a rematch. Joshua has opted to face unfancied Miller, who has 23 wins and a draw but has never fought for a world title. “We’ve been trying to negotiate with Wilder since I fought Carlos Takam in 2018 so these things have already taken time,” Joshua said on Tuesday. “We’ve come close, had a date booked, an offer in place, so there is no reason why these fights can’t take place.” But the heavyweight landscape is complicated after Fury signed a deal with a US network worth a reported £80m. The deal, which is understood to cover Fury’s next five fights, will mean his bouts are broadcast on ESPN in the US while remaining on BT Sport in the UK.
Wilder’s fights are broadcast on Showtime in the US, while Joshua is signed to the DAZN streaming service. “If I want to fight Wilder or Fury it is up to the broadcasters to make these dreams happens – everyone benefits,” added Joshua. “I’ve done a deal before where HBO, Showtime and Sky worked together. It has been done before and we can do it again. Broadcasters won’t hold this fight up.” Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn added: “I believe there is a way to make those fights happen.”
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