Report: Deontay Wilder In Talks With DAZN, Will Have A Meeting Next Week
WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is reportedly in talks with DAZN and an offer for Wilder to join the streaming service could be coming soon.
According to Mike Coppinger, Wilder will meet with DAZN Group Executive Chairman John Skipper next week with Lou DiBella, Al Haymon and Shelly Finkel all believed to be in the eventual meeting. Coppinger added that a multi-fight deal is expected to be offered to Wilder soon.
SOURCES: Deontay Wilder in talks with DAZN, will meet with John Skipper next week. Lou DiBella orchestrated face-to-face between Wilder and Skipper. After Wilder’s phone call with Skipper, Al Haymon and Shelly Finkel were notified. Believed all five parties will meet next week
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) March 8, 2019
Lou DiBella knew, given the relationship between Eddie Hearn and the heavyweight titleholder, that no deal could be completed that way. New multi-fight offer expected to be presented by DAZN in-person next week. DiBella declined comment
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) March 8, 2019
If Wilder does make the surprise jump to DAZN, it would give the platform all four major alphabet heavyweight world titles as unified WBA, WBO and IBF champion Anthony Joshua also fights on DAZN. Joshua is fighting Jarrell Miller at Madison Square Garden on June 1 on a Matchroom Boxing card to be streamed on DAZN.
Wilder’s career for the last few months have been focused squarely on fighting lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Wilder and Fury fought to a draw last December and the two appeared set to have a rematch, but that was until Fury recently signed with Top Rank Boxing and ESPN and elected to not have the rematch at least as his next fight.
This meant that Wilder had to look elsewhere for an opponent for his planned return on May 18. The WBC recently ordered Wilder to fight mandatory challenger Dominic Breazeale with a purse bid scheduled for early April if the two sides are unable to sign a deal.
