TALKS are underway for Anthony Joshua to fight Deontay Wilder, according to Eddie Hearn.
AJ is looking for his return to the ring after back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
And his promoter confirmed there is “lots of talk” and discussions with Wilder’s camp.
Now a showdown could take place as early as March.
Matchroom chief Hearn told iFL TV: “The communication lines are good between me and [Wilder’s co-manager] Shelly [Finkel].
“We’ve had a lot of talks, a lot of chats.
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“Until the training team is confirmed for AJ, we won’t make any opponent selections because we want the input from the trainer.
“So again, we’ve got three or four guys that we’re talking to and ready to try and make a move for.
“We have to make sure the training team is comfortable with that. That’ll be the plan over the next couple of weeks.”
Joshua, 33, and Wilder, 37, could have met in an undisputed heavyweight fight in 2018 but talks broke down.
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Now, both men are desperately trying to salvage their careers after crushing defeats to Usyk and Tyson Fury respectively – although Wilder beat Robert Helenius in October.
However, Dillian Whyte wants to get back in the ring with AJ – after their first pro clash in 2015.
But the Body Snatcher could also be in line to face Wilder next year.
Hearn added: “He’s been ordered to fight Andy Ruiz. He’s in negotiations with various people to fight Andy Ruiz. So I’m guessing that’s what he’s going to do next.
“At the same time, we’d like Dillian Whyte to fight Wilder in the interim or AJ in the summer.
“We’ll have to see, but it looks like Wilder will fight Ruiz, AJ will fight at the end of March or April, and Dillian Whyte will fight as well. I think they’re all going to come together in the summer.”
Joshua’s next fight is expected to be back at the O2 Arena – where he last fought in 2016.
Since then, he has headlined Wembley, the Principality, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as well as Maddison Square Garden and in Saudi Arabia.
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And when he does fight again, AJ will have a new coach in his corner after splitting with Robert Garcia.
Joshua is currently in America working on piecing together his new team as he heads into a make-or-break stage of his career.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
