Negotiations between World Boxing Council heavyweight champion, Deontay Wilder and International Boxing Federation, World Boxing Association, International Boxing Organisation and World Boxing Organisation champion, Anthony Joshua for a unified world heavyweight clash are concentrating on US venues.
According to reports, both camps have been locked in talks for the last month and are aiming to put on the heavyweight unification fight by the end of the year.
Eddie Hearn insisted last week Joshua wants the fight to be in the UK, but the Wilder camp is more interested in staging the showdown in America.
Wilder has offered £44million to Joshua, but that deal is under the condition the fight happens in the American’s backyard.
The LA Times claim talks are progressing slowly and only US venues are being considered.
The £44m offer is based on Joshua travelling to the US to take on Wilder, and a fight in the UK would mean a smaller fight purse for the Brit.
Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena are the frontunners to stage the unification fight.
Joshua would place his WBO, WBA (Super) and IBF titles on the line in a bid to strip Wilder of his WBC strap and claim the final of the four major world belts.
Wilder has insisted Joshua is dodging him and there has been plenty of back and forth between both camps.
Matchroom promoter Hearn has been annoyed by the conduct of Shelly Finkel who has regularly released email exchanges to the media.
But that strategy from Wilder’s team seems to have been abandoned as talks have progressed.
Joshua has yet to make his US debut, but has smashed British records in his 21 pro fights.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
