Tyson Fury recently said he has sent Anthony Joshua a contract to reignite their frustrating and failed fight talks from last year – although that’s untrue according to ‘AJ’s team.
The WBC Heavyweight Champion has been publicly searching for a summertime opponent, and news about a fight in Australia against one of the country’s stars has been overshadowed by his claims to have sent a draft contract Joshua’s way.
The domestic rivals were engaged in very public negotiations towards the end of 2022, but those ended in a blaze of deadlines and demands, leaving the boxing fans – at least those who actually believed it could happen – disappointed.
Speaking to Boxing Social, Joshua’s promoter has now dismissed the idea that anything official has been sent between the teams.
“There’s definitely no contract. His team have not sent any contract to us or Anthony Joshua. So I’m not sure what he’s talking about there.”
Hearn did confirm the initial ESPN report that he had been in tentative discussions with George Warren, Fury’s promoter – although he’s keen to point out that plans for Joshua haven’t shifted.
“George Warren did email on Wednesday saying that they’d be interested to look at the fight for September. I then called him, we had a chat, explained the situation.
We’re negotiating for the Deontay Wilder fight. We’re waiting on a finalised offer. We’re fighting in August. But, of course the Tyson Fury fight is a fight that we love. It’s a big fight.”
The promoter said that, from Joshua’s point of view, all he sees is different claims from the champion to get people talking – and said his fighter ‘doesn’t believe’ the offer is legitimate.
“When I talked to AJ last night he says ‘isn’t he fighting that Jai Opetaia or Demsey McKean? His next fight’s in Australia isn’t it?’
“From AJ’s point of view he’s fighting in August and then December. If that falls apart he’ll definitely look at the Tyson Fury fight, but … he doesn’t take him seriously.”
Hearn believes the initial talks could hold water, and that they will continue should Joshua’s current plans of a summer fight and then Wilder in December fall through.