The long-dormant dream of a historic, all-British heavyweight clash between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury might not be dead after all. In a stunning revelation, promoter Eddie Hearn has laid out a clear, albeit challenging, path that could finally see the two titans of British boxing share the ring.
The plan hinges on a series of high-stakes victories. First, Anthony Joshua must decisively defeat former UFC champion Francis Ngannou in their highly-publicised Saudi showdown on March 8th. A convincing win is paramount to rebuilding the aura of 'AJ' and making the Fury fight the blockbuster event it was always destined to be.
The second and most significant hurdle rests on the shoulders of 'The Gypsy King' himself. Tyson Fury must travel to Riyadh on May 18th and accomplish what Anthony Joshua did twice: defeat the technically brilliant Ukrainian, Oleksandr Usyk. This would see Fury claim the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world, unifying all the major belts.
"If AJ can beat Ngannou and Fury can beat Usyk, the fight is biggest in the history of the sport. No question," declared an emphatic Hearn in an interview with The Mirror. He believes that with those two results, the stars would finally realign for a Battle of Britain that would captivate the entire sporting world.
Hearn's comments serve as a massive dose of optimism for fight fans who have endured years of frustrating false starts, collapsed negotiations, and verbal sparring between the two camps. The fight has been arguably the most anticipated in British boxing history, yet it has remained perpetually out of reach.
The potential showdown is now framed as a winner-takes-all spectacle for the crown of undisputed heavyweight king. The stakes could not possibly be higher, transforming it from a domestic grudge match into a definitive contest for global boxing supremacy. The entire sporting world will be watching the results in March and May with bated breath.
