Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua fight negotiations in final stages – Eddie Hearn

By George Sessions, Press Association

Negotiations over a blockbuster heavyweight bout between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have reached the final stages, according to promoter Eddie Hearn.

British rivals Fury and Joshua traded insults at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 11th as speculation over an eagerly anticipated domestic battle increased.

The verbal sparring added more excitement to a contest which has been in the works on multiple occasions and fallen through, but Matchroom promoter Hearn has revealed that while no contract has been signed, the “final points” are being ironed out.

It would result in Joshua being involved in a comeback bout in July before a ‘Battle of Britain’ takes place with Fury in November, which would likely be promoted by Sela and may be broadcast live on Netflix.

Hearn could not confirm if Joshua’s summer fight will take place in London, but was hopeful that Saudi Arabia’s boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh would stage the Fury bout in the United Kingdom.

“We will have a contract and we haven’t signed a contract yet, but we are negotiating the final points in an agreement to come back to the ring in July and (then) fight Tyson Fury,” Hearn told iFL TV.

“Once we sign up for that agreement, it is over to (Turki) for the staging. We (Matchroom) will be promoting for July. I would think that the November fight or whatever it will be, will be promoted by Sela.

“The good news is if we take a (warm-up) fight like this, we have signed to fight Tyson Fury and all you’ve got to do is bite your fingernails in July for 36 minutes or less and you’ve got not the fight of the century, the fight of all-time.

“Myself and AJ, Tyson Fury, we’ll have a contract where (Alalshikh) is basically funding the fight. It’s up to him where it is. Now, he also wants to make history. He is not going to put it in some random place.

“He wants this to deliver for the fans what it is – which is the biggest fight in the history of our country. I am hopeful that the fight takes place in the UK.”

Fury had warned Joshua not to waste time and have a warm-up fight despite being involved in his own tune-up bout with Arslanbek Makhmudo.

But Hearn revealed it was advice by undisputed world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk which finalised plans for Joshua to have one contest before November.

“I am sure they won’t mind me saying it, a lot of this has come from Oleksandr Usyk. He was part of these conversations and the conversations were absolutely he is having a comeback fight,” Hearn said.