Deontay Wilder ‘accepts Anthony Joshua’s terms and awaits contract’ for 2018 showdown

Deontay Wilder has insisted that a September showdown with Anthony Joshua in Britain could be salvaged.

The American, who holds the WBC heavyweight crown, used his social media channels to say he has agreed to the terms offered by Joshua’s camp for the blockbuster unification fight.

Wilder’s posts come just days after Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn said his ‘gut feeling’ was that Britain’s IBF, WBO and WBA champion would fight his WBA mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin in September, with a Wilder bout due to follow in February or March.

Deontay Wilder has accepted the terms to fight Anthony Joshua in 2018, says his co-manager

Hearn has been in simultaneous discussions with both the Wilder and Povetkin teams over this next move and Wilder was always the Plan A. An announcement on Joshua’s opponent is imminent, so it remains to be seen if Wilder’s latest public claims – which have occasionally been viewed with scepticism by the Hearn camp in the past couple of months – can have a late bearing on the plans.

Wilder had previously attempted to lure Joshua to fight in the US with a $50m offer, but Joshua and Hearn have been firm in their stance that the match-up should happen in Britain.

Wilder posted on Monday night: ‘The $50M offer for Joshua to fight me next in the US is still available to him if he wants it.

‘In addition to that, today I agreed to their offer to fight Joshua next in the U.K. If Joshua prefers the fight in the UK. The ball is in their court. It’s up to them to choose US or UK. I’m in.’

Wilder’s manager Shelley Finkel separately indicated to World Boxing News on Monday night that October is an option as well as September, which would go some way to quell one of Hearn’s concerns about a September date clashing with Canelo Alvarez’s return from a drugs suspension.

Finkel claimed Wilder had agreed to a rematch clause.

Wilder later took to social media to tell his fans the blockbuster showdown was going ahead

Joshua remains heavily linked with fighting Alexander Povetkin this year, before facing Wilder

‘The story is very simple and that is Deontay Wilder today, accepted the terms that Anthony Joshua’s team gave us,’ he said.

‘If for any reason Anthony changes his mind and wants to fight in the U.S, the $50m offer we have made to him is still there. It’s now in Joshua’s court.

‘It will take place in the UK either September or October according to Eddie Hearn.

‘Hopefully, we’ll get an answer in the next day or two. Deontay wrote to Joshua and said: “Hey, I accept your offer, let’s fight in the UK”.

‘I met with Barry a week ago and have been on the phone to himself and Eddie regularly this week. We want the fight next, we’re waiting for the contract and we’re ready to go.’