Eddie Hearn believes Anthony Joshua will relish the verbal sparring with Tyson Fury as the build-up to their heavyweight unification fight intensifies. The bout, set for August 14 in Saudi Arabia, promises a war of words before the first bell.
Fury is known for his mind games, from singing at press conferences to arriving in costume, but Hearn insists Joshua is ready for the challenge. 'I think you're going to get a different AJ in this build-up,' the Matchroom promoter told Sky Sports. 'Other than the Dillian Whyte fight, he's not really been in that trash talk environment. I think he wants to be in that environment.'
Hearn revealed that the fighters have been exchanging direct messages, some pleasant and some not, adding to the tension. 'I get DMs from Tyson Fury, sometimes they're pleasant, sometimes they're unpleasant,' he said.
The promoter also highlighted the rivalry between the camps, with Hearn facing off against Frank Warren and Bob Arum. He predicted that once the fight is officially announced, pleasantries will cease. 'It becomes a bit personal because it doesn't matter who respects who, both sides are absolutely desperate to win,' Hearn said. 'It's them and us – war.'
Hearn expressed confidence in Joshua's ability to overcome Fury, stating, 'AJ will be going to war with Tyson Fury and he has plans to go in there and absolutely demolish him.' He described the event as 'the biggest sporting event of 2021.'
