Boxing: Hearn Shuts Down Joshua, Wilder Showdown

In a decisive pivot that reshapes the heavyweight division’s immediate future, promoter Eddie Hearn has officially removed Deontay Wilder from contention for a summer showdown with Anthony Joshua—dashing fan hopes of a long-simmering clash between the two former world champions.

The clarification comes despite a formal offer for Joshua to return to the ring this July as part of a lavish two-fight package orchestrated by Riyadh Season. That deal, backed by Saudi powerbroker Turki Alalshikh in partnership with Ring Magazine, is designed to funnel Joshua directly into a career-defining, all-British mega-fight against Tyson Fury tentatively scheduled for November.

Wilder, who reignited speculation last month by publicly calling out Joshua following his own victory over Derek Chisora, now finds himself on the outside looking in. The American’s explosive punching power and unpredictability—precisely what made the matchup so tantalizing to fans—have become the very reasons stakeholders are unwilling to risk it.

“The deal that we have been offered to fight in July and then fight Tyson Fury in November is not with Deontay Wilder in mind,” Hearn told talkSPORT, delivering the clearest verdict yet. “The powers that be don’t really want us to be in that type of fight.”

Hearn’s wording underscored the delicate calculations at play. While Joshua has never shied away from Wilder—and Hearn insisted “we have no problem fighting Wilder”—the current agreement Prioritises preservation over peril. A July bout against a dangerous, unorthodox puncher like Wilder carries the risk of derailing the far more lucrative Fury collision, which has loomed over the division for years as a potential £150 million spectacle.

Instead, Joshua is expected to face a lower-risk interim opponent this summer—a stay-busy fight designed to keep him sharp, healthy, and on course for the November blockbuster. The former two-time champion has been idle since December, when he delivered a statement knockout win, and the July return would serve as a tune-up before the biggest test of his recent career.

“This is an offer that has been made… and that looks like the route that we will take,” Hearn added, signaling that Joshua’s team is all but locked into the Riyadh Season plan.

For Wilder, the news is a bitter reversal. Just weeks ago, his camp had sensed momentum building toward a long-anticipated meeting with Joshua—one that fans had craved ever since both men held world titles. That fight, once considered inevitable, now appears no closer to reality. Wilder’s volatile style, while thrilling, has made him a high-risk, lower-reward proposition for any promoter with a larger prize already in sight.

Hearn was careful not to close the door entirely on a future Wilder clash, but he made it clear that under the terms of the current agreement, the American simply doesn’t fit. “I don’t think it will be Wilder under the basis of this deal,” he said.

As the heavyweight landscape recalibrates, all eyes turn to July. Joshua will step back into the ring against an opponent yet to be named—likely a credible but carefully selected contender—while Fury watches from the wings. And Wilder, the once-feared knockout artist, is left waiting for his next opening, frozen out of the biggest fight the division has to offer.

For now, the path is clear: Joshua’s summer is about preservation, not peril. And the Bronze Bomber’s number simply hasn’t been called.