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“The battle may take place in the snow. I don’t really care, as long as it takes place.”
Eddie Hearn remains confident Anthony Joshua’s mega-fight with Tyson Fury will take place in the UK this November.
Joshua will return on July 25 in a tune-up fight against the unexpected Albanian Kristian Prenga. While Fury has said he plans to fight August 1 in Dublin.
If they both win, the British heavyweights will be on a collision course for a long-awaited showdown.
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George Groves admits it is difficult to pick a clear winner between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua but believes Alexander Usyk’s influence on AJ should not be underestimated
talking Sky SportsHearn confirmed: “The contract is very clear. It specifically says the fight must take place in the UK. We also understand that Turki Alalsikh is paying for the fight, so if he comes up with plans to fight elsewhere, there will be a sensible conversation and a renegotiation of that contract if we want to go ahead with it.
“The reason the clause was in the contract in the first place is because we all want the fight to be in the UK. It’s the biggest fight in the history of British boxing, and I know there’s been talk of Las Vegas and things like that, but I think it would be a shame not to have the fight in Britain.
“The fight will really be where the Turkish Alalsikh wants it to happen. However, if it’s outside the UK I’ll have to have another conversation with Anthony Joshua and I believe with Tyson Fury, who has the same request in his contract to fight in the UK.”
Hearn said Wembley, which had a record 98,128 Joshua’s shock loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024 “Clear favourites” to battle in front of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
“There’s no confirmed date yet but the fight is planned to take place in November, so pick your Saturday in November,” Hearn continued.
“I think a Saturday in the middle of November is a good shout, but again, we have to go through the Prenga and Fury fight, which looks like August 1.”
Connor Benn defeated bitter rival Chris Eubank Jr in their rematch at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last November, leaving Hearn in no doubt AJ-Fury could happen – even in wintry conditions!
He joked: “This fight could be in the snow – I don’t really care as long as it happens.”
Horn: AJ is 110 percent focused
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Andy Scott, Barry Jones, and Shane McGuigan discuss what could be planned for the mega fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua
Promoter Hearn also reflected on Joshua’s press conference ahead of the fight with the 35-year-old Prenga.
Joshua will mark his return to the ring In his first fight since a knockout win over Jake Paul in December.
Shortly after his victory, Joshua was involved in a tragic car accident in Nigeria that killed two of his close friends and left the former Unified Heavyweight Champion with minor injuries.
“I’ve never heard Joshua be so clear about what he wants to do and his focus on the sport,” Hearn said. “There has been a lot of pressure over the years. Many new businesses, management companies, big sponsorship deals but AJ is a perfectionist. He has always strived to perfect everything in his various businesses and outside the ring and his projects.
“I think it took some of his focus away from boxing. I think he realizes now, ‘Look, I’ve got one last run at this so I want to give it 110 percent and full focus’ and obviously he’s been in training camp with Oleksandr Usyk and that’s been a huge plus for him.
“The proof will be in the fight. You’ve heard me say it a million times, he looks great, had a great camp, he’s happy, but I’ve never seen him talk so clearly about the future.
“He’s talking about Pringle, he’s talking about Tyson Fury, he’s talking about trying to be the undisputed world champion again, so he’s in a good place with his boxing at the moment.
“He’s expected to beat Prenga but it’s a really big banana skin because we know what’s waiting and it’s a signature fight between him and Tyson Fury, so everyone’s got their fingers crossed for July 25.”
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‘AJ will beat Fury!’ | Usyk about ‘helping’ Joshua at camp
A decade of missed opportunities – how Joshua and Fury never happened
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Take a look back at the most dramatic returns to the boxing ring, including Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and more
Joshua and Fury, two of the biggest names in British boxing, have circled each other for the best part of a decade. Fury became the first heavyweight world champion when he upset Wladimir Klitschko a decade ago. Joshua turned pro after winning Olympic gold at London 2012 and rocketed through the pro ranks.
But when Joshua picked up his first world title belt in 2016, Fury stepped away from the game.
Fury would eventually return and defeat Deontay Wilder to become the WBC World Champion. Joshua held the unified IBF, WBO and WBA championships and the two were close to fighting for the undisputed heavyweight championship.
It wasn’t to be, Fury instead boxed in a third fight with Wilder and Joshua lost to Alexander Usyk. The Ukrainian also defeated Fury, who retired again earlier last year.
When Fury returned to defeat Makhmudov in London earlier this month, Joshua was waiting to resume full training after being injured in a horrific accident that claimed the lives of two of his close friends and his teammates. Joshua is now working in camp with his former rival Usyk, who has backed AJ to defeat Fury.
On July 25, the two rivals will finally face off in the UK’s most anticipated heavyweight fight, with Christian Prenga clearing yet another hurdle for Joshua.
