Deontay Wilder says Eddie Hearn has selfish reasons to not push for the Anthony Joshua fight

Deontay Wilder vs. Anthony Joshua might not happen in 2024, thanks to Eddie Hearn.

'The Bronze Bomber' and 'AJ' are currently slated to return to the boxing ring later this month, but not against each other. Yes, despite the two former champions being in talks for most of the year, they couldn't reach a deal.

Ultimately, after Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk fell apart, the Saudis wanted a big card. As a result, they put Joshua in the main event of a new card on Dec. 23, and he will face Otto Wallin. Meanwhile, Wilder will return in the co-main to face former champion Joseph Parker.

If both men win, the goal is for Deontay Wilder's next fight to be against Anthony Joshua. However, Eddie Hearn might serve as a potential blocking force for the 2024 heavyweight clash, according to Wilder.

Speaking in a recent interview with The Last Stand Podcast, Wilder stated that the head of Matchroom might try and avoid the bout. According to 'The Bronze Bomber', Hearn isn't confident in Joshua.

In the interview, he stated:

“He don't want that fight because he's not confident in his product. Joshua is the only money-making fighter Matchroom has. They don't wanna see their business fall to the likes of me, someone that can end someone's career.”

See his comments in the video below (17:00):

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Deontay Wilder vs. Anthony Joshua could be impacted by Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk

If a title opportunity comes knocking, don't expect to see Deontay Wilder vs. Anthony Joshua.

A fight between 'The Bronze Bomber' and 'AJ' has been discussed for years now. While the hope was to have the two clash in December, they couldn't get the deal done.

However, as previously mentioned, due to the postponement of Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk, Wilder will now return on Dec. 23. Furthermore, while the goal is to face Joshua following his next fight, that might not happen.

Speaking on The Last Stand Podcast, Deontay Wilder admitted that he might not be Anthony Joshua's next fight. If he can get a shot at the winner of Fury vs. Usyk, he wants that over 'AJ'.

Speaking to Brian Custer in the interview, Wilder stated:

“If you've got all the belts, you're gonna have to fight me… That's still my goal [to become undisputed and] wipe out the entire division.”