Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has disclosed that Anthony Joshua is scheduled to fight Tyson Fury later this year, but he cautioned that the Gypsy King must first defeat Oleksandr Usyk.
Hearn made this revelation while responding to a question about darts prodigy Luke Littler during a recent interview with Piers Morgan.
A much-anticipated Battle of Britain bout between the two heavyweight superstars has been a topic of discussion for some time now, and it appears to be on the verge of becoming a reality.
Joshua is reportedly poised to unveil his next opponent after his recent knockout victory over former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou last month.
Eddie Hearn expressed his confidence in the Fury vs. AJ fight happening this year, stating, “Because the darts Championship happens in December and January, I’m gonna say that Fury vs. AJ happens this year.” He reiterated, “So I’m gonna say Fury vs. AJ [happens first].”
Previously, both Joshua and Fury had agreed to a fight, but negotiations collapsed, leading Fury to face Deontay Wilder in a trilogy bout instead.
Meanwhile, Oleksandr Usyk surprised the division by defeating Joshua twice, securing the Brit’s former championship belts.
“Eddie Hearn stated, ‘Everybody wants to see this fight, and on August 12, Anthony Joshua will fight Dillian Whyte. After that, he will fight Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia, and then after that, it has to be Tyson Fury.’”
Hearn continued, “‘Tyson Fury turned down the Usyk fight, the most important fight in boxing, the undisputed heavyweight world championship, to fight an MMA fighter who has never had a fight before in his life.’”
He added, “‘We have to be honest, Fury cares about one thing only, the money.’”
The 44-year-old later clarified that for Fury to solidify his status as a true boxing great, he must defeat both Usyk and Joshua. He emphasized, “He has to beat Usyk and he has to beat Anthony Joshua, particularly Usyk.”