Anthony Joshua, Andy Ruiz Jr, Oleksandr Usyk: Deontay Wilder's manager outlines future plans

Deontay Wilder could face either Anthony Joshua, Andy Ruiz Jr or Oleksandr Usyk next if he beats Robert Helenius, according to his manager.

The Bronze Bomber has been out of action since last November after being knocked out by Tyson Fury in the eleventh round of their trilogy fight in Las Vegas.

Wilder, 36, returns to the ring next month at Barclays Center in New York on October 15.

It comes after AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn recently claimed that he made him a very generous offer prior to his rematch defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.

But the former heavyweight world champion’s manager Shelly Finkel has now given his side of the story – and it makes perfect sense.

Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: “It’s come out a few times by Eddie Hearn that I avoided him. 

“We have a fight coming up with Robert Helenius. Eddie emailed me, ‘Can we talk? I have some big [offer] for Deontay.’

“Right now we have the Helenius fight, that’s all we need to concentrate on. Because if something went wrong there, nothing else would be. And if it goes right, it’ll all get worked out.

“And I felt if I got on a call with Eddie, the next thing you would be on the call to me, ‘Oh, did you and Eddie talk?’

“So I said to Deontay and Al Haymon, ‘What do you think?’ And they said, ‘Let’s just get this fight out of the way.’

“And sure enough, [Eddie Hearn says], ‘Shelly didn’t even talk to me.’”

Finkel added: “I think he also has this feeling that I dislike Eddie.

“No. I don’t always agree with him, we’re on opposite sides, he has a fighter who will hopefully be an opponent for one of my guys, in this case Deontay, and it’s nothing of the sort.

“Barry Hearn and I, we go back 30/40 years and it’s always been very cordial.

“And the Eddie thing, look, he’s been