A mouthwatering heavyweight title unification involving a Joshua vs Wilder fight looks to be getting held up by a financial split dispute.

Often times in boxing when it comes to making the big fights happen, the hold up is almost always down to money behind the scenes.

Yes, ego can sometimes play a part, too, but promoters and fighters alike realise now that making the big fights happen when fans want them to is crucial to the sports continued resurgence.

2017 so far for boxing surely testimony to that. A year that has seen some terrific fights, worldwide.

A Joshua vs Wilder fight could be one of the biggest match ups involving a UK vs American heavyweight since Lennox Lewis vs Mike Tyson but it appears that Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn is not happy with the money Wilder wants.

As reported by The Sun, Hearn was quoted as saying:

“The deal in Wilder’s head is a 50-50 split but over my dead body is that ever happening.”

There is also the issue of frosty relations between Wilder’s promoter Lou DiBella and Hearn himself, which might be protracting things a tad in talks.

Hearn’s plan has been clear in that he first wants Wilder to box Dillian Whyte with the winner getting a shot at Joshua.

It all seems to be taking a bit too long and if history has taught us anything in boxing, sometimes when the opportunity to make a fight when two fighters are on a win streak is not grasped, it can be gone forever if one loses.

Joshua must first get past Carlos Takam this weekend however and Wilder for his part must get past a rematch with Bermane Stiverne next up:

(Wilder vs Stiverne 1 – hat tip Legendary Boxing Highlights YouTube)