The fight British boxing fans have been waiting years for finally looks like it's actually happening, and now the promoter is talking like a man who's already booked the after-party. Eddie Hearn says he's "never been more confident" that Anthony Joshua beats Tyson Fury when the two heavyweights finally meet.
Hearn's backing AJ — and pointing to the Usyk camp
The pitch from Hearn isn't just blind loyalty. He puts a lot of it down to how Joshua looks right now, including training alongside Oleksandr Usyk — the man who's beaten AJ twice.
"Fury's a tremendous fighter, very clever. I've just always felt that AJ beats Tyson Fury," Hearn told Sky Sports. "And now, with his training camp with Usyk and the way he just seems and how focused he is, I just think that I've never been more confident that he wins the fight."
He didn't go full disrespect mode, mind. "But it's not going to be easy because Fury's a great competitor and a great fighter," Hearn added.
The warm-up fights you have to clear first
Here's the catch every bettor should keep an eye on: nothing about this is locked in yet. A location and date for the Fury–Joshua fight still haven't been confirmed.
Before any of that, AJ has a comeback bout against Kristian Prenga on July 25. Fury has also signalled he wants a warm-up fight, though he hasn't named an opponent or a date either.
That matters a lot, because Hearn has previously admitted that if either man loses a tune-up, the whole mega-fight plan falls apart. Two warm-ups means two banana-skin opportunities for the biggest UK fight in years to collapse before it's signed.
The money question hanging over it
Then there's the cash. Hearn suggested Fury isn't thrilled with the purse on the table.
"Unfortunately, Tyson Fury's used to earning a lot of money and perhaps the purse that has been suggested is not one that he's very happy about," Hearn said. "But really, no one really wants the fight for him... So you've got to kind of decide the money is what it is. Do you want to do it or do you not want to do it now?"
He was clear the negotiations between camps aren't his concern. "They're going to do what they want to do. And we're going to just focus on July 25."
What it means if you follow the markets
For now there are no confirmed odds for Fury vs Joshua because there's no confirmed fight — no venue, no date, no opponent locked for the warm-ups. Promoter confidence is exactly that: a promoter selling his fighter.
The smarter thing to watch over the coming months is whether both men get through their tune-ups cleanly. AJ–Prenga on July 25 is the next checkpoint, and any upset there or in Fury's still-unannounced bout would change everything.
If you're more in the mood for boxing you can actually plan around, Sky Sports has MVPW-06 in Birmingham on August 29, headlined by Mikaela Mayer against Chantelle Cameron, with Caroline Dubois also on the card. That one's signed and dated — which is more than can be said for the heavyweight blockbuster everyone's really talking about.
Sources:
Worth keeping an eye on how this lands - there's an ongoing discussion of UK online casinos on the forum.
Hearn's backing AJ — and pointing to the Usyk camp
The pitch from Hearn isn't just blind loyalty. He puts a lot of it down to how Joshua looks right now, including training alongside Oleksandr Usyk — the man who's beaten AJ twice.
"Fury's a tremendous fighter, very clever. I've just always felt that AJ beats Tyson Fury," Hearn told Sky Sports. "And now, with his training camp with Usyk and the way he just seems and how focused he is, I just think that I've never been more confident that he wins the fight."
He didn't go full disrespect mode, mind. "But it's not going to be easy because Fury's a great competitor and a great fighter," Hearn added.
The warm-up fights you have to clear first
Here's the catch every bettor should keep an eye on: nothing about this is locked in yet. A location and date for the Fury–Joshua fight still haven't been confirmed.
Before any of that, AJ has a comeback bout against Kristian Prenga on July 25. Fury has also signalled he wants a warm-up fight, though he hasn't named an opponent or a date either.
That matters a lot, because Hearn has previously admitted that if either man loses a tune-up, the whole mega-fight plan falls apart. Two warm-ups means two banana-skin opportunities for the biggest UK fight in years to collapse before it's signed.
The money question hanging over it
Then there's the cash. Hearn suggested Fury isn't thrilled with the purse on the table.
"Unfortunately, Tyson Fury's used to earning a lot of money and perhaps the purse that has been suggested is not one that he's very happy about," Hearn said. "But really, no one really wants the fight for him... So you've got to kind of decide the money is what it is. Do you want to do it or do you not want to do it now?"
He was clear the negotiations between camps aren't his concern. "They're going to do what they want to do. And we're going to just focus on July 25."
What it means if you follow the markets
For now there are no confirmed odds for Fury vs Joshua because there's no confirmed fight — no venue, no date, no opponent locked for the warm-ups. Promoter confidence is exactly that: a promoter selling his fighter.
The smarter thing to watch over the coming months is whether both men get through their tune-ups cleanly. AJ–Prenga on July 25 is the next checkpoint, and any upset there or in Fury's still-unannounced bout would change everything.
If you're more in the mood for boxing you can actually plan around, Sky Sports has MVPW-06 in Birmingham on August 29, headlined by Mikaela Mayer against Chantelle Cameron, with Caroline Dubois also on the card. That one's signed and dated — which is more than can be said for the heavyweight blockbuster everyone's really talking about.
Sources:
Worth keeping an eye on how this lands - there's an ongoing discussion of UK online casinos on the forum.