A blockbuster showdown between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury appears to be nudging closer to reality after talks between the two heavyweight’s management companies officially began.
The boxing world is desperate to see the two British stars face off in the ring, following Fury’s dismantling of Deontay Wilder in February.
Both men have expressed a desire to do battle, and now Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has admitted the first steps have been made to secure a mega-fight to be arranged in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’re talking to MTK about where that fight would take place,” Hearn revealed to ESPN. ‘At the moment, the main focus for everybody [is] the contractual situations. The conversations between myself and MTK are that we’ve had the approach.
“We’ve had a number of approaches from territories to stage that fight. So the only discussions at the moment are where this fight takes place – and we don’t even know when this fight could take place,” he added.
Hearn has conceded, however, that a lucrative fight between the pair would be more likely to gather pace quicker next year, given that boxing expects to be short on finances after taking a hit from coronavirus.
“We’re certainly open to have discussions about the possibility of this happening this year or in the next fight,” he added.
“There’s more chance at the moment that the bigger money could come next year because we don’t even know if we can do live crowds in November, December.”
It is understood that mandatory challengers Kubrat Pulev and Wilder, who are set to face Joshua and Fury respectively next, remain unwilling to give up their fights despite the mass disruption to the boxing calendar.
Pulev was pencilled in to take on Joshua at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 25 before the
pandemic struck, yet no fresh date has since been arranged.
Likewise, Wilder wasted no time in activating his rematch clause to set up a trilogy clash with Fury, though
their agreed October 3 meeting now looks set to be put back considerably.
Boxing is expectedly to be given the go-ahead, probably as soon as next week, to resume behind closed
doors in late June or early July.
Frank Warren is in discussion with government and the British Boxing Board of Control for fights to take
place in a TV studio or a purpose built temporary facility.
Britain’s longest-standing promoter revealed: “We are ready to get boxing moving again and I believe we
will be given the green light in the next few days for shows under agreed health controls in a TV studio or a
purpose built temporary facility.”
