Deontay Wilder Offered $12.5 Million Flat Fee To Fight Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua's team have offered Deontay Wilder a flat fee to take part in a potential heavyweight title unification clash this year.

Joshua added the World Boxing Organization (WBO) heavyweight title to his collection following his unanimous decision win over Joseph Parker on March 31 in Cardiff, Wales.

He is now looking to put the WBO title along with the World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation and International Boxing Organization heavyweight titles on the line against World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Wilder in a bid to completely unify the division.

Wilder most recently defeated Luis Ortiz via knockout in the 10th round of their March 3 clash in Brooklyn, New York, and a possible bout with Joshua is seen as the biggest fight in boxing today worth in the region of £75 million ($106 million).

However, the two camps are divided over the purse split as Joshua, whose purse split with Parker was 67-33, and his camp believe he deserves the bigger split due to his drawing power along with the fact that he now holds four belts compared to the American's sole belt. Wilder's team on the other hand are open to go as low as 60-40.

"AJ" revealed Tuesday his team were ready to make another offer to Wilder that would "create a lot of interest" and stop him from moaning. According to the Telegraph, that offer is not a purse split, but rather a flat fee of £8.8 million ($12.5 million) with no further details such as when and where the fight could take place.

The report added in addition to the flat fee, the two teams will discuss a 50/50 purse split for a rematch to take place in America, no matter what the result of the first fight is. The reported offer goes along with the details Joshua previously mentioned.

"I don't know about Wilder and how serious he is," Joshua said Tuesday. "If Wilder offered me the deal I'm going to offer him - to come and fight for four belts, with a great rematch clause and a great up-front clause - I would grab that with both hands. I would be over the moon with a deal like that, so it will be interesting to see how he takes it."

While Joshua would stand to earn an even greater payday if the offer is accepted due to the absence of purse split, Wilder would still be making his most lucrative payday with his last win over Ortiz giving him a career-high $2.1 million purse. However, one of Wilder's co-managers in Shelly Finkel stated this is the first real offer from Joshua and they will respond with a counter-offer promptly.

"It was a take-it-or-leave-it offer," Finkel told the Telegraph. "We will respond ­appropriately in the next day or so with our counter offer. If Joshua is serious, we will take the fight. Deontay wants this fight. He doesn’t want anyone else."