Matchroom Promoter, Eddie Hearn, has revealed the only way that a fight between British heavyweight rivals, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, can happen this year
Joshua and Fury have flirted with a domestic clash for some time now, but negotiations have failed over and over again.
Now, with ‘AJ’ poised to fight in August, most likely against Dillian Whyte, and then face Deontay Wilder in December, it appears that he and his team are content with their plans.
Meanwhile, Fury’s proposed undisputed title bout with Oleksandr Usyk collapsed earlier this year, leaving ‘The Gypsy King’ searching for a suitable opponent and calling out Joshua.
In an interview with iFL TV, Hearn explained the only way that a clash between Joshua and Fury could finally happen is if the proposed fight against Wilder fell through.
“The Wilder fight is one of the biggest in boxing, AJ wants to fight Wilder. We also appreciate that it is a huge money fight, in the Middle East, huge. So, of course, that is the route that we are happy to take.
The August fight is scrap-able for Tyson Fury, but it’s [part of the] two fights. The plan to fight three times this year. The plan to have that fight and then go into a career defining fight with Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury.
There’s a lot to consider, but really I think that the main thing is the Wilder fight. If the Wilder fight fell through, AJ would scrap his August fight for Tyson Fury, no doubt.
But, combining the August fight and getting that ability to have a fight, with Derrick James and prepare for that massive fight, one of the biggest in boxing, we like that plan.
If the Saudi fight didn’t materialise and the Deontay Wilder fight didn’t materialise, absolutely, AJ has no problem going into a Tyson Fury fight, or at least exploring it.”
Whilst the Wilder fight is looking promising for ‘AJ’, there is still no official contract from Saudi Arabia.