Eddie Hearn has revealed that Anthony Joshua is negotiating the “final points” of a contract to face Tyson Fury later this year, bringing the long-awaited all-British heavyweight showdown closer to reality.
Joshua’s Ringside Appearance Sparks Speculation
On 11 April, Joshua watched from ringside as Fury made a winning return to boxing after a 16-month layoff. When Fury called him out, Joshua remained coy, but Hearn later explained that his fighter was simply focused on finalising the deal behind the scenes.
Hearn’s Update on Negotiations
“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 [Saudi adviser Turki Alalshikh] for the staging. We will be promoting for July; I would think that the November fight or whatever it will be, will be promoted by [Saudi company] Sela.”
Hearn added that if Joshua takes a warm-up fight in July, he will have signed to fight Fury afterwards. “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.”
Funding and Location
“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.”
Joshua’s Training and Recent Events
Hearn credited unified champion Oleksandr Usyk for influencing the plan for Joshua to have a warm-up fight before facing Fury. “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.’”
Joshua has been training with Usyk in Ukraine in recent months, after surviving a tragic car crash in Nigeria in December that claimed the lives of two of his teammates. Just 10 days after stopping Jake Paul, Joshua was involved in the accident but quickly returned to the gym before visiting Kyiv to train with Usyk, who outpointed him in 2021 and 2022. Usyk is set to face kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven on 23 May.
Fury’s Return
Fury is not expected to fight again before facing Joshua, having eased past Arslanbek Makhmudov on points earlier this month. That bout was Fury’s first since December 2024, when he was outpointed by Usyk for the second time in seven months. Fury had never previously lost as a professional, and the second defeat prompted his fifth retirement from boxing.
