It was wishful thinking from Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn, but Deontay Wilder hasn't expressed any desire to accept step-aside money for his trilogy fight with Tyson Fury.
Well, no surprise there. So, planning for Fury vs. Wilder III continues amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
"I have not personally had any conversations about that. It is not on my radar," Top Rank president Todd DuBoef told Sky Sports, dismissing any notion that Wilder would be interested in stepping aside, so that Joshua, the unified world heavyweight champion, could face Fury, the WBC titleholder, with undisputed glory on the line.
"I am working with Wilder's representatives on coming up with new potential dates in late summer or early fall for the Fury fight," DuBoef continued. "We are speaking about potential venues, too.
"That fight breaking up as a result of (Joshua vs Fury) fight? I have not been privy to any conversations about that," he added for good measure. "I have not heard that they are willing to step aside. Nobody has communicated that."
It shouldn't come as a surprise, as Fury plowed through Wilder with a seventh-round TKO in February so easily that "The Bronze Bomber" should have nothing but avenging that loss and regaining the WBC title on his mind.
Last week, Hearn spoke optimistically about the possibility of Joshua vs. Fury, saying that if Wilder steps aside, Joshua's mandatory challenger, Kubrat Pulev, may do the same thing, considering Pulev and Fury are both represented by Bob Arum's Top Rank.
"I think a lot of it depends on Deontay Wilder," the Matchroom Boxing USA president told Sky Sports. "If he's willing to take that step-aside money. That's a conversation to be had with Bob Arum and Al Haymon to see if that's even possible.
"If it was possible and there was a way to make Kubrat Pulev wait, which I think is probably an easier job, then for sure, I think Anthony Joshua would be extremely interested in moving straight into the Tyson Fury fight," he continued. "I think in an ideal world, we have that fight next."
Hearn made the comments in the midst of what continues to be a cloud of uncertainty over the COVID-19 outbreak. But once the coronavirus pandemic subsides, it looks like plans for a Fury-Wilder trilogy will continue.