EDDIE HEARN insists Anthony Joshua’s blockbuster heavyweight title unification fight with Tyson Fury won’t be derailed by legal action from Deontay Wilder.
The American sought mediation last year to try and land a trilogy fight with Fury, which he believes he’s contractually entitled to.
Anthony Joshua pummels Kubrat Pulev with a huge right handCredit: AFP
Anthony Joshua is on a collision course with fellow Brit Tyson FuryCredit: PA
Eddie Hearn is ‘confident’ Deontay Wilder’s legal action won’t derail Joshua vs FuryCredit: MATCHROOM BOXING
Team Fury, however, are adamant Wilder’s rematch clause expired last October.
Matchroom Boxing chief Hearn isn’t concerned about Wilder’s attempts to land a third fight with The Gypsy King, telling Sky Sports: “That’s a problem and a question really for Top Rank, and Bob Arum.
“We’ve been assured by them, that’s not going to be an issue in making this fight.
“I do believe that Deontay Wilder, he was supposed to be fighting in January.
“Now we’re in the middle of February, so how much longer is he going to wait?
“He’s been out of the ring for a year now, and he’s slowly imploding in every single interview that he gives. He should get back in the ring.
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“That’s a Fury problem, a Team Fury problem. We’re confident that it won’t impact our fight, or the announcement.”
Negotiations over Joshua vs Fury resumed after the former’s ninth-round TKO victory over Kubrat Pulev last December.
A two-fight deal has already been agreed, although the finer details of the contract have yet to be finalised.
Hearn is optimistic the fight will soon be announced, telling iFL TV: “To be honest with you I don’t really wanna talk about the fight because I keep saying the same thing, don’t I? ‘Two weeks, hopefully it’ll be done’.
“I don’t wanna bore people, but I said to Bob, ‘I’m getting asked about it 20 times a day in interviews, what do you want me to say?’
“So what I’ll tell you – and I don’t think we should go too deep into it – is we’ve sent the contract, we’ve had minor requests for changes which all seem a reasonable discussion.
Deontay Wilder has taken legal action to try land a trilogy fight with Tyson FuryCredit: Getty
“And hopefully it shouldn’t be too long to go before an official announcement. Still some work to go, but we’re close.”
Hearn recently revealed one of the outstanding issues is whose name will be first on the fight poster.
He told Boxing Scene: “Still to be discussed. I’m looking forward to that one.
“I suppose you have whose name is first, who goes to the ring first, who has the first changing room, who will weigh in first.
“Jokes aside, that’s not something that will necessarily be solved in one phone call. But it will be a discussion point over the next week or so.”
He added: “I can’t imagine a Zoom coin flip. It’s better to paper it and discuss it and come to an amicable agreement.
“For me AJ is the bigger draw globally. But again, we are not interested in a debate where the fight falls apart because of things like that.
“We just need to box that off. In any unification fight, this is always a conversation that can be arduous.”
Eddie Hearn says Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury ‘close’ to official announcement
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
