Shelley Finkel explains why Deontay Wilder turned down DAZN offer

April 2, 2019 5:08 AM
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Deontay Wilder and co-manager Shelley Finkel held talks with DAZN, but they weren’t buying.

Deontay Wilder caught the interest of streaming service platform DAZN, as the network aims to acquire the best fighters. Earlier in March, he and his co-manager Shelley Finkel had met with DAZN president John Skipper to discuss a deal.

Skipper reportedly made Wilder a $100 million offer to sign with DAZN. The deal could have put Wilder, (40-0-1, 39KOs), who holds the WBC heavyweight title, in line to face unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (22-0, 21KOs); who also fights under the network. However, it was an issue for WIlder and Finkel when the terms for Joshua’s deal were not disclosed.

“If you were offered a dollar, I don’t wanna get specific; it may sound like a lot,” said Finkel. “But you also wanna know what the other guy (Joshua) is getting, we never heard that. And if we’re getting a dollar and later you found out that the other guy was getting five, you’d say ‘damn a dollar is like chump change.’ So we asked, we never were told.”

Wilder was in agreement with Finkel’s statement regarding talks with DAZN, and gave his own take on the negotiations, saying, “They (DAZN) wasn’t prepared for what was bout to come in those doors.”

Finkel didn’t want to disclose how much money they were offered by Skipper, but shot down reports of $100 million. Although the talks for a deal fell apart, Finkel has maintained contact with Skipper; and says that the door for a bout with Joshua is still open.

“One thing about us, we don’t burn bridges,” said Wilder. “You don’t burn bridges in this world, because you don’t know when you have to cross that again.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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