By Charles Brun: Derek Chisora of Skills Challenge promotion says Anthony Joshua & Deontay Wilder could receive a purse of £150 million each for their fight in December in Saudi Arabia.
It’s unclear how accurate Chisora’s information is about Joshua & Wilder each getting a massive £150 million purse from the Saudis. Still, if this is true, it’s history-making in terms of money.
The Saudis have the money, but it’s hard to imagine AJ & Wilder getting that kind of cash for their fight, especially with it being a non-title contest.
Given how much money could be at stake for this fight, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn should forget about putting AJ in a risky summer tune-up fight because there’s too much dough for him to lose out on if he were to suffer a loss.
Hearn has been chomping at the bit to match Joshua against journeyman Dillian Whyte, believing the British boxing public is still interested in seeing a rematch between them from their first fight long ago in 2015 when both were young and firing on all cylinders. Both are played out now, in their 30s, and struggling even against lesser opposition.
“I think each fighter will make £150 million,” said Derek Chisora to iFL TV about the Joshua-Wilder & Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk card in December in Saudi Arabia.
“I’m hearing various figures and every fighter involved. That’s history-making dough, so I can understand why all fighters want to get involved in it,” said Johnny Nelson to iFL TV, reacting to Derek Chisora about Anthony Joshua possibly getting 150 million to fight Deontay Wilder in December.
Joshua worried about his health
“In boxing, people walk in the gym one way, and not many walk out the same way because of the trauma. I want my legacy to be, I walked out healthy,” said Joshua to Men’s Health.
“Imagine me at 50 or 60 in a wheelchair – fragile because of the trauma I put my body through,” said Joshua.
You got to wonder whether the recent article from Thomas Hauser at the Guardian about Joshua needing to retire to save himself from receiving trauma might have hit home with him, making him worried about his long-term health.
It doesn’t sound good that Joshua is worried about his long-term health. He’s heading into a fight against arguably the biggest puncher in the heavyweight division against Deontay, and it’s almost sure that Joshua will be taking massive blows to the head from the powerful 6’7″ knockout artist.
“I’m down to fight. In December, potentially, a big fight should be cracking with Wilder and me,’ Joshua continued. “It has been a long time coming.
“There are many moving shapes at the minute, many things happening, so one step at a time. But it has been a long time coming, for sure.’
