ANTHONY JOSHUA made a massive mistake when he turned down more than £60m for two fights with Deontay Wilder last year. Now, the WBA, IBF, IBO and WBO champion will be looking on enviously as he sits in Tyson Fury’s slipstream.
Talks are continuing for Fury to face WBC champion Deontay Wilder in a rematch later this year, while Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn is busy making what I would call derisory offers to both men.
Dillian Whyte is also turning his nose up at the money being put in front of him for an April 13 fight at Wembley.
So Joshua should be questioning the choices he – or his team made – in not getting to Wilder before Fury.
He was offered £38m to face Wilder in America with £23m guaranteed for the rematch.
There were claims that he couldn’t have signed the deal for different contractual reasons.
But maybe he should be asking his promoter to match the figures he could have earned elsewhere then.
This week we announced our return to the Royal Albert Hall when Nicola Adams will challenge for the WBO flyweight title against Arely Mucino.
Heavyweight rising star Daniel Dubois is on the card while Liam Williams makes the first defence of his British middleweight title against Joe Mullender.
It will be the first professional boxing at the historic venue since Billy Joe Saunders beat Tony Hill for the Commonwealth title back in 2012.
But it is 20 years since a world title has been contested there when the great Marco Antonio Barrera defended the WBO super-bantamweight crown against Merseysider Paul Lloyd.
It is a great venue with a superb atmosphere and it is best described as a posh version of York Hall.
There is not a bad seat in the house and we cannot wait to bring big-time boxing back there.
–Frank Warren
