Tag: eddie hearn

Eddie Hearn reacts to Anthony Joshua’s KO of Francis Ngannou: ‘You can’t get knocked out like that too often’

Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn believes Francis Ngannou can still succeed in boxing, despite the devastating result against Anthony Joshua.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn believes [autotag]Anthony Joshua[/autotag] is the best heavyweight boxer on the planet right now, and his performance against [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] boosted his confidence.

Joshua (28-3) violently knocked out Ngannou (0-2) in Round 2 at Kingdom Arena, doing what many in the boxing world expected Tyson Fury to do against the former UFC heavyweight champion in October.

In comparison between the two boxers, Hearn wasn’t surprised to see Joshua produce a more definitive result.

“(Fury) struggled against Otto Wallin. A.J. destroyed him, it was a mismatch,” Hearn told MMA Junkie. “He struggled against Francis Ngannou. A.J. destroyed him, it was a mismatch. It’s not necessarily about comparing the two, but it’s nice.”

Hearn also would like to see Ngannou continue his venture into the world of heavyweight boxing. Although the result on the night was a devastating finish, Hearn believes Ngannou can pick up wins inside the boxing ring.

“He can beat a lot of heavyweights, just not Anthony Joshua,” Hearn said. “Maybe he can beat Tyson Fury, but you can’t get knocked out like that too often. And that’s just a stark reminder of the difference between elite-level boxing and MMA.”

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Eddie Hearn worried by Francis Ngannou’s confidence for Anthony Joshua bout: ‘He should be petrified’

Eddie Hearn thinks Francis Ngannou might go down as the trickiest challenge of Anthony Joshua’s career when it eventually comes to a close.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – [autotag]Eddie Hearn[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] might go down as the trickiest challenge of [autotag]Anthony Joshua[/autotag]’s career when it eventually comes to a close.

Matchroom Boxing chairman Hearn, who has been the longtime promoter of Joshua, will be sitting on the edge of his seat when his fighter steps into the ring with former UFC champion Ngannou for a 10-round heavyweight bout on Friday at Kingdom Arena (pay-per-view).

Although Hearn has met him multiple times before, he said he continues to be astounded by the sheer physical presence of Ngannou. And the proven strength he carries along with the confidence of fighting Tyson Fury to a split decision loss in his boxing debut in October, gives Hearn cause for concern.

“Ngannou is huge,” Hearn told MMA Junkie following Wednesday’s pre-fight press conference. “I’m quite fascinated by the size of him. AJ’s a massive man, but Ngannou’s legs – everything. He’s got a lot of confidence going into this fight. He should be petrified. But he’s really not, and that’s worrying in itself. AJ’s better than him in itself. But he’s very strong, he’s very powerful and he punches very hard. And in this division, that can get you to victory.”

Although Ngannou is still a novice in terms of boxing experience, Hearn said his mental fortitude, athleticism and knockout power makes up for a lack of time in the sport.

Hearn is curious to see what advancement Ngannou has made with his skillset since he last stepped into the ring, but whatever it is, he doesn’t envision a path to victory for “The Predator” outside of a clean knockout.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how he’s improved,” Hearn said. “AJ’s a different beast. Fury and AJ have got different attributes. AJ’s very fast, and punches very hard. And it’ll be interesting to see – and Fury said to me, ‘I hit Ngannou hard and he didn’t move.’ And I was like, ‘Ah.’ So we’ll see if he can stand up to the speed and power of AJ.

“The only way Ngannou can win is to land a shot on AJ at some point during the fight. There’s no way that Francis can win rounds against AJ repetitively. So he has to win this fight by knockout. And as the rounds go on and he gets tired, the power will start to diminish.”

The winner of Joshua vs. Ngannou has already been touted as the next challenger to the winner of the undisputed heavyweight title unification bout between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk on May 18. The upcoming year could shape a significant chapter of the most storied weight class in boxing, and Hearn thinks Joshua is going to be the last man standing.

“The greatest fighter of our generation in the division – that’s what they’re all fighting for at the moment,” Hearn said. “If Fury beats Usyk and beats AJ, he goes down as the greatest of our generation. Unquestionable. If AJ beats – obviously he’s got to beat Ngannou – but if he beats Fury and becomes undisputed, he goes down as the greatest of our generation.

“I’m telling you now: if we get through Friday, which may be our toughest challenge, he’s going to do it all. He’ll beat Fury and knock him out. But let’s just watch through the fingers on Friday and hope we come out good.”

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For more on the fight, visit MMA Junkie’s hub for Joshua vs. Ngannou. 

Eddie Hearn expects Anthony Joshua to pick apart Francis Ngannou and knock him out

Eddie Hearn isn’t discounting Francis Ngannou as a dangerous opponent for Anthony Joshua, but there are levels to boxing.

[autotag]Eddie Hearn[/autotag] expects [autotag]Anthony Joshua[/autotag] to show [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] that there are levels to boxing.

Ngannou (0-1) meets Joshua (27-3) in a heavyweight match March 8 in Saudi Arabia. Hearn, the chairman of Matchroom Boxing, admits he heavily underestimated Ngannou when he fought WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in October. But despite Ngannou knocking Fury down in a close decision loss, Hearn still backs his fighter to get the finish.

“Everyone’s going to play my previous clips that Francis Ngannou couldn’t win an English title before he fought Tyson Fury,” Hearn said on “The MMA Hour.” “I feel like he’s earned that shot or certainly to continue at that level. And I fancy the fight.

“You’ve heard me say before, I really believe AJ knocks him out. But he’s a dangerous fight. I know that this guy’s a big, big lump that can really punch, and I think he has no fear, which makes him dangerous. But I just feel like AJ is in a great place, and I expect him to pick him apart and knock him out.”

Hearn knows the risk of Joshua facing an inexperienced opponent like Ngannou, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a worthy one.

“You can’t really say that he’s not a credible opponent,” Hearn said. “I’ve heard Carl Froch and others say, ‘Oh, this is just a cash grab.’ No, this is a dangerous fight. Like, AJ actually has a lot to lose here. Coming off the (Otto) Wallin fight, he’s in a wonderful position to go and fight for the IBF world title, which we hope will happen after the Francis Ngannou fight.

“But it’s kind of like, there’s a lot of jeopardy in this fight … a lot of jeopardy. If you lose to Francis Ngannou – Francis Ngannou is 0-1, right? So it’s not a great look losing to Francis Ngannou. So he’s going to do everything he can to avoid that.”

Despite Joshua opening up as a -700 favorite, Hearn promises that he’s not underestimating the former UFC heavyweight champion.

“They’re taking this very seriously,” Hearn said. “In their mind, this is the toughest fight of their career. Francis Ngannou is a very dangerous man and they’ll be training, absolutely, with every ounce in their soul to be victorious.”

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For more on the fight, visit MMA Junkie’s hub for Joshua vs. Ngannou.

Anthony Joshua gets victory over Jermaine Franklin but fails to make statement

Anthony Joshua claimed a victory over Jermaine Franklin but failed to make a statement Saturday in London.

Was it one of Anthony Joshua’s best performances? Far from it. Was it a step in the right direction? A small one.

Joshua demonstrated that he is a level above the shorter, lighter Jermaine Franklin, outboxing the American to win a one-sided decision at O2 Arena in London. It was the former unified champ’s first victory since 2020.

That was the good news.

The bad news was that he still didn’t fight with his pre-Andy Ruiz Jr. ferocity and failed to score a knockout even though Franklin seemed ripe for one late in the fight, which left his fans disappointed and allowed questions about Joshua to linger.

At the same time, a victory is a victory. And this one could lead to big things, possibly even a shot at beltholder Tyson Fury.

“I wish I could’ve knocked him out, 100 percent,” Joshua said, “but in the next 15 years no one is going to remember that fight anyway.”

That’s true. It was forgettable.

Joshua (25-3, 22 KOs) was coming off back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, the first of which cost him his heavyweight titles.

The former champ needed to get back into the win column and, in a perfect world, make a statement in the process to put his fellow contenders on notice. The first part of that goal turned out to easy.

Joshua fought tentatively in the early rounds but controlled them, connecting repeatedly with his stiff jab and following with hard, accurate right hands to keep the aggressive Franklin at a safe distance.

Gaining confidence by the middle rounds, Joshua became more assertive. He stood his ground, even taking the fight to Franklin. He was still jabbing but throwing and landing more power shots, which began to wear down his overmatched opponent.

And anytime Franklin got close enough to even think about turning the tide, Joshua tied him up, which frustrated both underdog and those hoping to see a competitive fight down the stretch.

The only drama in the late rounds was whether Joshua could find a way to take out Franklin (21-2, 14 KOs). Joshua didn’t exactly throw caution to the wind but he continued to throw ill-intended power punchers. Franklin simply has a good chin and was determined to survive.

So Joshua had to settle for a wide decision in his first fight with respected trainer Derrick James. The official scores were 118-111, 117-111 and 117-111. Boxing Junkie scored it 118-110, 10 rounds to Two.

“For me it was all about him coming out and getting the win,” James said. “Like I said, I don’t care how he won it. I just wanted him to win. After this, we’ll come back and build and build and build. …

“… Toward the end, yeah, he looked like [Franklin[ was ready to go. I told [Joshua] to pick up the pace a bit in the last couple of rounds. That comes with time. With more and more work together, he’ll more and more be able to do exactly what I need him to do.”

Is this version of Joshua ready to take on Fury, who is generally considered the best heavyweight in the world? Well, we might find out.

Joshua was asked in the ring about what might come next. He said, “I know who the fans want. Who do the fans want?” The packed crowd at O2 loudly and clearly gave him the response he expected, “Fury!.”

“The ball is in his court,” Joshua said of his rival, with whom he engaged in failed negotiations late last year. “I would be 100 percent honored to compete for the WBC heavyweight championship of the world. … If you’re listening, you know my management, you know my promoter.

“We’ve had dialogue before. Let’s continue this and hopefully we can get this sorted out sooner rather than later. We’re not getting any younger.”

Said his promoter, Eddie Hearn: “We’re willing to entertain those conversations now, to go straight into a Tyson Fury fight in the summer. You got Dillian Whyte down there [in the arena]. You got Deontay Wilder. You got a lot of good fighters.

“I think he’s going to improve under Derrick James. There was a lot of pressure [on Saturday] and a lot of improvements to make. At the same time, he’s going to want the big fights as well.”

Only one thing is certain, according to Joshua: He’ll be back in the ring this summer. We’ll see who’s standing across from him.

Anthony Joshua gets victory over Jermaine Franklin but fails to make statement

Anthony Joshua claimed a victory over Jermaine Franklin but failed to make a statement Saturday in London.

Was it one of Anthony Joshua’s best performances? Far from it. Was it a step in the right direction? A small one.

Joshua demonstrated that he is a level above the shorter, lighter Jermaine Franklin, outboxing the American to win a one-sided decision at O2 Arena in London. It was the former unified champ’s first victory since 2020.

That was the good news.

The bad news was that he still didn’t fight with his pre-Andy Ruiz Jr. ferocity and failed to score a knockout even though Franklin seemed ripe for one late in the fight, which left his fans disappointed and allowed questions about Joshua to linger.

At the same time, a victory is a victory. And this one could lead to big things, possibly even a shot at beltholder Tyson Fury.

“I wish I could’ve knocked him out, 100 percent,” Joshua said, “but in the next 15 years no one is going to remember that fight anyway.”

That’s true. It was forgettable.

Joshua (25-3, 22 KOs) was coming off back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, the first of which cost him his heavyweight titles.

The former champ needed to get back into the win column and, in a perfect world, make a statement in the process to put his fellow contenders on notice. The first part of that goal turned out to easy.

Joshua fought tentatively in the early rounds but controlled them, connecting repeatedly with his stiff jab and following with hard, accurate right hands to keep the aggressive Franklin at a safe distance.

Gaining confidence by the middle rounds, Joshua became more assertive. He stood his ground, even taking the fight to Franklin. He was still jabbing but throwing and landing more power shots, which began to wear down his overmatched opponent.

And anytime Franklin got close enough to even think about turning the tide, Joshua tied him up, which frustrated both underdog and those hoping to see a competitive fight down the stretch.

The only drama in the late rounds was whether Joshua could find a way to take out Franklin (21-2, 14 KOs). Joshua didn’t exactly throw caution to the wind but he continued to throw ill-intended power punchers. Franklin simply has a good chin and was determined to survive.

So Joshua had to settle for a wide decision in his first fight with respected trainer Derrick James. The official scores were 118-111, 117-111 and 117-111. Boxing Junkie scored it 118-110, 10 rounds to Two.

“For me it was all about him coming out and getting the win,” James said. “Like I said, I don’t care how he won it. I just wanted him to win. After this, we’ll come back and build and build and build. …

“… Toward the end, yeah, he looked like [Franklin[ was ready to go. I told [Joshua] to pick up the pace a bit in the last couple of rounds. That comes with time. With more and more work together, he’ll more and more be able to do exactly what I need him to do.”

Is this version of Joshua ready to take on Fury, who is generally considered the best heavyweight in the world? Well, we might find out.

Joshua was asked in the ring about what might come next. He said, “I know who the fans want. Who do the fans want?” The packed crowd at O2 loudly and clearly gave him the response he expected, “Fury!.”

“The ball is in his court,” Joshua said of his rival, with whom he engaged in failed negotiations late last year. “I would be 100 percent honored to compete for the WBC heavyweight championship of the world. … If you’re listening, you know my management, you know my promoter.

“We’ve had dialogue before. Let’s continue this and hopefully we can get this sorted out sooner rather than later. We’re not getting any younger.”

Said his promoter, Eddie Hearn: “We’re willing to entertain those conversations now, to go straight into a Tyson Fury fight in the summer. You got Dillian Whyte down there [in the arena]. You got Deontay Wilder. You got a lot of good fighters.

“I think he’s going to improve under Derrick James. There was a lot of pressure [on Saturday] and a lot of improvements to make. At the same time, he’s going to want the big fights as well.”

Only one thing is certain, according to Joshua: He’ll be back in the ring this summer. We’ll see who’s standing across from him.

Chris Eubank Jr.-Conor Benn fight postponed in wake of Benn’s failed drug test

The Chris Eubank Jr.-Conor Benn fight, scheduled for Saturday in London, has been postponed in the wake of Benn’s failed drug test.

The fight between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. is off … for now.

Promoters on Thursday postponed the event, scheduled for Saturday in London, in the wake of Benn’s failed test for a banned fertility drug that can boost testosterone.

No new target date has been announced.

The British Boxing Board of Control, which oversees the sport in the U.K., refused to sanction the bout after the positive test. Promoters had said indicated they might seek an outside body to sanction the bout but decided against that.

“After discussions with various parties, we have taken the decision to formally postpone the bout between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn,” Matchroom Boxing announced.

The promoter went on: “It is undeniable that the British Boxing board of Control’s decision to withdraw their sanctioning was procedurally flawed and without due process. That remains a legal issue between the promoters and the Board which we intend to pursue.”

Eddie Hearn, chairman of Matchroom, had said Thursday that promoters would not try to find an outside organization to sanction the fight.

“It’s been done before and it’s ot something Ive looked at before or something I necessarily agree with,” Hearn said. “This is not a situation where we want to run rogue and come up with an alternative plan.”

Hearn reportedly also considered seeking an injunction to save the fight but also decided against that.

“Whilst there are legal routes to facilitate the fight taking place as planned, we do not believe that it is in the fighters’ interests for those to be pursued at such a late stage, or in the wider interest of the sport. …

“As promoters we take our obligations and duties very seriously, and a full investigation will now need to take place.”

Eubank’s promoter, Kalle Sauerland, said Wednesday that Eubank and Benn learned of Benn’s positive test weeks before the event was due to take place, according to the BBC. Eubank still wanted to fight.

“We discussed it straight away with the most important person from our side, the athlete. He was happy to continue and spoke to Benn directly,” Sauerland said.

Meanwhile, Benn said that he’s “a clean athlete.”

“I’ve not committed any violations, I’ve not been suspended, so as far as I’m concerned the fight is still going ahead,” he said to members of the media after a workout Wednesday. “I’ve signed up to every voluntary anti-doping test under the sun, throughout my whole career I’m tested, I’ve always come back negative, I’ve never had any issues before.

“My team will find out why there has been an initial adverse finding in my test, but as far as I’m concerned the fight is going ahead. I’m a clean athlete and we’ll get to the bottom of this.”

He went on: “We both (Benn and Eubank) want the fight to go ahead. We’ve both taken medical and legal advice and we both want the fight to happen for the fans. He fully believes, he believes in me, and it’s not who I am, or what I’m about. I’m a pro athlete and he was understanding.”

Benn tested positive for Clomifene, a fertility drug for women that reportedly can increase testosterone levels in men.

He was tested by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, which doesn’t work directly with the BBBofC. That’s one reason Hearn believes the governing body had no right to prohibit the fight.

However, UK Anti-Doping Chief Executive Jane Rumble said her organization recognizes all legitimate drug testing.

“UKAD notes the reporting of a failed VADA test by the boxers Conor Benn with concern. … UKAD acts on all reports of doping and always encourages anyone with information on suspected doping activity to come forward and share that with us.”

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Chris Eubank Jr.-Conor Benn fight postponed in wake of Benn’s failed drug test

The Chris Eubank Jr.-Conor Benn fight, scheduled for Saturday in London, has been postponed in the wake of Benn’s failed drug test.

The fight between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. is off … for now.

Promoters on Thursday postponed the event, scheduled for Saturday in London, in the wake of Benn’s failed test for a banned fertility drug that can boost testosterone.

No new target date has been announced.

The British Boxing Board of Control, which oversees the sport in the U.K., refused to sanction the bout after the positive test. Promoters had said indicated they might seek an outside body to sanction the bout but decided against that.

“After discussions with various parties, we have taken the decision to formally postpone the bout between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn,” Matchroom Boxing announced.

The promoter went on: “It is undeniable that the British Boxing board of Control’s decision to withdraw their sanctioning was procedurally flawed and without due process. That remains a legal issue between the promoters and the Board which we intend to pursue.”

Eddie Hearn, chairman of Matchroom, had said Thursday that promoters would not try to find an outside organization to sanction the fight.

“It’s been done before and it’s ot something Ive looked at before or something I necessarily agree with,” Hearn said. “This is not a situation where we want to run rogue and come up with an alternative plan.”

Hearn reportedly also considered seeking an injunction to save the fight but also decided against that.

“Whilst there are legal routes to facilitate the fight taking place as planned, we do not believe that it is in the fighters’ interests for those to be pursued at such a late stage, or in the wider interest of the sport. …

“As promoters we take our obligations and duties very seriously, and a full investigation will now need to take place.”

Eubank’s promoter, Kalle Sauerland, said Wednesday that Eubank and Benn learned of Benn’s positive test weeks before the event was due to take place, according to the BBC. Eubank still wanted to fight.

“We discussed it straight away with the most important person from our side, the athlete. He was happy to continue and spoke to Benn directly,” Sauerland said.

Meanwhile, Benn said that he’s “a clean athlete.”

“I’ve not committed any violations, I’ve not been suspended, so as far as I’m concerned the fight is still going ahead,” he said to members of the media after a workout Wednesday. “I’ve signed up to every voluntary anti-doping test under the sun, throughout my whole career I’m tested, I’ve always come back negative, I’ve never had any issues before.

“My team will find out why there has been an initial adverse finding in my test, but as far as I’m concerned the fight is going ahead. I’m a clean athlete and we’ll get to the bottom of this.”

He went on: “We both (Benn and Eubank) want the fight to go ahead. We’ve both taken medical and legal advice and we both want the fight to happen for the fans. He fully believes, he believes in me, and it’s not who I am, or what I’m about. I’m a pro athlete and he was understanding.”

Benn tested positive for Clomifene, a fertility drug for women that reportedly can increase testosterone levels in men.

He was tested by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, which doesn’t work directly with the BBBofC. That’s one reason Hearn believes the governing body had no right to prohibit the fight.

However, UK Anti-Doping Chief Executive Jane Rumble said her organization recognizes all legitimate drug testing.

“UKAD notes the reporting of a failed VADA test by the boxers Conor Benn with concern. … UKAD acts on all reports of doping and always encourages anyone with information on suspected doping activity to come forward and share that with us.”

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Report: Eddie Hearn suing Jake Paul for over $100 million due to Paul’s fight fixing accusations

According to reports, Eddie Hearn is suing Jake Paul for defamation.

[autotag]Eddie Hearn[/autotag] is taking legal action against [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag].

The Matchroom Boxing CEO has filed a lawsuit for defamation, as they claim reputational damage from a recent interview where Paul accused Hearn of paying off judges. This is according to TMZ, who reported the news on Friday.

“Both legally and ethically there is a clear line separating opinion from defamatory lies,” Hearn’s attorney Frank Salzano told TMZ. “Jake Paul knows that, and he purposely crossed that line when he wrongly accused Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn of fixing fights.
“Nonetheless, he was still given an opportunity to retract his defamatory statements and refused to. Now he will face the legal consequences of his actions as Matchroom and Mr. Hearn will be seeking damages in well excess of $100 million given the value and goodwill attached to the Matchroom business and the harmful nature of Mr. Paul’s comments.”
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Paul, who gained a massive following on YouTube, has been involved in boxing for the last few years – working as both a professional fighter and a promoter through Most Valuable Promotions.

Back in April, Paul worked together with Hearn to put on Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano – one of the biggest women’s boxing matches in history. Paul promoted Serrano under MVP and Hearn promoted Taylor through Matchroom Boxing.

In a very competitive contest, Taylor was awarded a split decision win over Serrano. Judge Glenn Feldman, who had the widest scorecard of the three judges overseeing the contest, scored the fight 97-93, Taylor.

Then a few months later, Feldman was again criticized online as he favored Matchroom Boxing’s Anthony Joshua in a 115-113 scorecard to beat Oleksandr Usyk in their heavyweight championship rematch. The two other judges saw it for Usyk, awarding him a split-decision win.

Paul wasn’t happy to see Feldman’s scoring in both fights and claimed foul play between Hearn and Feldman earlier this month in an interview with IFL TV – which is now unavailable and put on private on YouTube.

“Glenn Feldman, shows up in Saudi and scores Anthony Joshua to win the fight,” Paul said. “Everyone watched the fight, it’s not a split decision. Usyk had a runaway victory, clearly won the fight. This judge, Glenn Feldman, gives it to Anthony Joshua? It’s like a repeated crime here. This type of sh*t, I’m going to call it out here in boxing because it’s bullsh*t.

“Clearly, this guy is getting paid money by Matchroom Boxing. That’s a bold statement and an accusation that I don’t take lightly, but it’s just blatantly obvious. You would think they would bring a different judge that f*cked up the scoring of Taylor-Serrano to Saudi Arabia.”

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Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua showdown inching closer to reality

An all-British heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua is inching closer to reality.

A showdown between heavyweight titleholder Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua is another step closer to reality.

Joshua has accepted terms presented by Fury last week — a 60-40% split of revenue in Fury’s favor and the date of the proposed fight, Dec. 3 – according to a tweet from Joshua’s manager, 258 Management. Fury’s co-promoter Frank Warren responded by saying a contract was on its way.

Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, said last week that 60-40 was acceptable. The management company’s announcement confirms it.

258 tweeted: “258 and Matchroom Boxing can confirm, on behalf of Anthony Joshua, that we accepted all terms presented to us by Fury’s team for a fight Dec 3rd last Friday. Due to the Queen’s passing, it was agreed to halt all communication. We are awaiting a response.”

Warren tweeted back: “Contract will be with you very soon.”

The site of the fight has not been determined, although 80,000-seat Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, reportedly is a leading candidate because it has a retractable roof.

The sides also have not indicated how television/streaming rights will be handled, which can be a sticking point. Fury is aligned with BT Sports in the U.K. and ESPN in the U.S. Joshua is affiliated with DAZN.

Hearn cautioned in an interview with IFL TV last Wednesday: “In essence, we accepted the offer. Lots of conversations to be had.”

Fury spoke to TalkSport the same day.

“I think [60-40] is more than generous,” he said. “I didn’t want to go in and start offering them 20% like they would’ve done to me. However, I really want this fight to happen as [Oleksandr] Usyk – the little middleweight – doesn’t want no smoke like I thought he didn’t, and now I’m going after AJ.

“I’ve already beat Deontay Wilder, so there’s only one other person and that’s AJ, the bodybuilder! So, why not give him 40 percent? Give him no excuses and let’s get the fight made for the British public.”

The long-awaited matchup would’ve seemed unlikely a few weeks ago because Fury was expected to fight Usyk for the undisputed championship. However, Usyk indicated he wouldn’t be available until next year.

Fury wants to get back into the ring in the meantime. Enter Joshua, who is coming off back-to-back losses to Usyk but remains a marketable fighter. Indeed, a all-British Fury-Joshua matchup would be a huge event, particularly in the U.K.

Fury and Joshua appeared headed for a showdown last year. However, a judge in the U.S. ruled that Fury was obliged to honor a rematch agreement and fight Wilder a third time.

That fight took place in October and Fury stopped Wilder in 11 rounds, his second consecutive KO of the former champion. He went on to knockout Dillian Whyte in six rounds this past April, Fury’s most recent fight.

Meanwhile, Joshua lost three of the four major titles to Usyk by a unanimous decision in September of last year and then lost a split decision in the rematch on Aug. 20. That should give him plenty of time to prepare for a fight with Fury in December.

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Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua showdown inching closer to reality

An all-British heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua is inching closer to reality.

A showdown between heavyweight titleholder Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua is another step closer to reality.

Joshua has accepted terms presented by Fury last week — a 60-40% split of revenue in Fury’s favor and the date of the proposed fight, Dec. 3 – according to a tweet from Joshua’s manager, 258 Management. Fury’s co-promoter Frank Warren responded by saying a contract was on its way.

Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, said last week that 60-40 was acceptable. The management company’s announcement confirms it.

258 tweeted: “258 and Matchroom Boxing can confirm, on behalf of Anthony Joshua, that we accepted all terms presented to us by Fury’s team for a fight Dec 3rd last Friday. Due to the Queen’s passing, it was agreed to halt all communication. We are awaiting a response.”

Warren tweeted back: “Contract will be with you very soon.”

The site of the fight has not been determined, although 80,000-seat Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, reportedly is a leading candidate because it has a retractable roof.

The sides also have not indicated how television/streaming rights will be handled, which can be a sticking point. Fury is aligned with BT Sports in the U.K. and ESPN in the U.S. Joshua is affiliated with DAZN.

Hearn cautioned in an interview with IFL TV last Wednesday: “In essence, we accepted the offer. Lots of conversations to be had.”

Fury spoke to TalkSport the same day.

“I think [60-40] is more than generous,” he said. “I didn’t want to go in and start offering them 20% like they would’ve done to me. However, I really want this fight to happen as [Oleksandr] Usyk – the little middleweight – doesn’t want no smoke like I thought he didn’t, and now I’m going after AJ.

“I’ve already beat Deontay Wilder, so there’s only one other person and that’s AJ, the bodybuilder! So, why not give him 40 percent? Give him no excuses and let’s get the fight made for the British public.”

The long-awaited matchup would’ve seemed unlikely a few weeks ago because Fury was expected to fight Usyk for the undisputed championship. However, Usyk indicated he wouldn’t be available until next year.

Fury wants to get back into the ring in the meantime. Enter Joshua, who is coming off back-to-back losses to Usyk but remains a marketable fighter. Indeed, a all-British Fury-Joshua matchup would be a huge event, particularly in the U.K.

Fury and Joshua appeared headed for a showdown last year. However, a judge in the U.S. ruled that Fury was obliged to honor a rematch agreement and fight Wilder a third time.

That fight took place in October and Fury stopped Wilder in 11 rounds, his second consecutive KO of the former champion. He went on to knockout Dillian Whyte in six rounds this past April, Fury’s most recent fight.

Meanwhile, Joshua lost three of the four major titles to Usyk by a unanimous decision in September of last year and then lost a split decision in the rematch on Aug. 20. That should give him plenty of time to prepare for a fight with Fury in December.

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