Editor’s note: This article was originally posted on DAZN.com.
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Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn believes there is a chance that Anthony Joshua’s long-awaited match-up with Tyson Fury could take place as early as this December.
Many believe that a Joshua vs. Fury bout could only take place in 2021 at the earliest, but Hearn speculated that there might be a way forward for a 2020 fight.
That would require the cancellation or postponement of Fury’s third fight with Deontay Wilder, which is expected to happen in December. And Joshua also has a mandatory defense against Kubrat Pulev, which is also expected to take place before the end of the year.
Hearn suggested to IFL TV that Wilder could drop out of his fight with Fury and open the door to Joshua-Fury this year.
“I am the only one that has put this in writing that the deal is agreed,’ Hearn told IFL TV, referring to agreement between Joshua and Fury. “So I have already written to their team saying, ‘Just to let you know, we have agreed to the following deal.’
“I didn’t actually get a reply, but I believe they do want the fight. So we’re ready for the fight. I saw the comments about December. It’s all very well saying, ‘Well, if that doesn’t happen in December, I’ll fight you now,’
“’We will fight you in December. If the world is ready for that fight, and these offers that are coming in are legit for that period in December, then we don’t have a problem going into that fight.
“But he’s [Fury] under contract for another fight. No, we’re not under contract yet, but we have to agree to terms with Pulev now. We probably will.”
Hearn even suggested that Wilder should consider retirement if he does not face Fury this winter.
“If Deontay Wilder doesn’t take that rematch, he should retire from boxing,” he said. “What’s the point? You’ve been a world heavyweight champion, and now you’ve lost.”
Hearn admitted that Joshua might not be able to defend his WBO belt if he makes the Fury event happen.
“We want to have an undisputed fight. So by doing that, we fight Pulev, [Fury] fights Wilder,” he said. “If we have to drop the WBO belt, then we worry about that then. But AJ doesn’t have a problem with going into that [Fury] fight next. But he understands that his obligation is to fight Pulev.
“If he doesn’t want to do it, then he loses his belt. Fury’s obligation contractually is to fight Deontay Wilder, and I don’t believe Deontay Wilder is going to let that fight go. If he lets that fight go, he’ll never get another shot at a world title until he’s mandatory.”
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