‘Anthony Joshua would have told me to f*** off if I offered him step-aside money’, admits Eddie Hearn

Hearn does not think Deontay Wilder will accept step-aside money

Anthony Joshua would have told Eddie Hearn to “f*** right off” had he been offered step-aside money instead of a rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr., the promoter has said.

Hearn is hoping that a lucrative offer will convince former WBC heavyweight champion of the world Deontay Wilder to avoid fighting Tyson Fury for a third time.

The pair drew their first heavyweight title fight, before Fury stopped the American earlier this year to defend his lineal crown and add the WBC belt to his collection.

And Hearn has admitted that, although he hopes a fight between Joshua and Fury can soon be made, he does not think that Wilder will turn down the opportunity for a trilogy bout.

“’Of course it shows weakness, it would actually be embarrassing, but I would love him to step aside,” he told iFL TV.

“Imagine after AJ-Ruiz 1 and I got up to him and say “AJ, listen, so-and-so has been on, they’ll give you a few quid to step aside and not take the Andy Ruiz rematch”.

“Think about that conversation. How do you think that would have gone? Something like “f*** right off, there isn’t an amount of money in the world you could give me to not take that fight”.

“And if you take step-aside money, you’re showing horrific weakness.

“You’re giving someone an opportunity to take what you should feel is yours, without you getting the opportunity to win it back.

“If you believe in yourself and back yourself you should never step aside, never.

“I can’t remember a time where I’ve had a deal for a fighter to step aside.

“If you lose your title and you’ve got a straight rematch to win it back, if you step aside and let someone else claim what you feel is yours, then that is wrong. That is a sign of weakness.

“That means you either don’t want it enough or you don’t believe you can.

“I cannot imagine Deontay Wilder, in a million years, will step aside from this fight.

“You think they would want to give Joshua a chance to become undisputed heavyweight world champion?