DAVID HAYE recently took to social media to claim a monster fight between Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko is ‘done,’ though Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, today insists it is not.
Haye was outpointed by Klitschko in 2011 and since returning to the ring after a three-and-a-half year hiatus has expressed a keen interest in fighting IBF heavyweight champion Joshua.
Hearn has been working diligently with Klitschko’s team to try and broker a deal though no such agreement has yet been reached.
“We don’t know the confirmed date yet, December 10 is certainly in the mix,” he told Boxing News.
“I saw David Haye’s tweet – 100 per cent the deal is not done yet. We are very close and we are very hopeful. It’s easy to say it’s a done deal because we’re close so it’s not hard to take a run at it but if you want the facts, the facts are that it’s not done yet. But we are closing in.”
Great to hear Joshua-Klitschko is done. Timing is everything & the time now is perfect for AJ. Reminds me of Ali Vs Berbick #FatherTime
— David Haye (@mrdavidhaye) October 11, 2016
The opportunity for Joshua-Klitschko arose when the Ukrainian’s rematch with Tyson Fury, who defeated him last November, was once again scrapped after Tyson was deemed ‘medically unfit’ to box.
It has since been revealed Fury is battling with depression and is looking at a considerable amount of time away from action while he fully recovers.
That is likely to leave his WBA and WBO titles up for grabs – though neither governing body has yet made a decision over their title – and Hearn has previously said a Joshua-Klitschko fight is only really possible if there is another belt on the line.
It is not the first time Hearn has had to clarify the situation of negotiations, as speculation rumbles on over what would be a colossal event. Hearn claims there is a good chance an announcement regarding Joshua’s next opponent will be made later this week – and it won’t be via Haye’s Twitter account.
