EDDIE HEARN believes Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua WILL clash this year.
The Brit duo have been publicly jawing down one another for the best part of a decade and even inked terms for a scrap in 2020.
But their eagerly-anticipated domestic dust-up has yet to come to fruition, much to the frustration of boxing fans worldwide.
Their long overdue Battle of Britain, however, is now back on the menu following four wins on the bounce for former unified heavyweight king Joshua.
And in a bizarre question involving darts star Luke Littler, Matchroom Boxing chief Hearn revealed his belief that the biggest fight in the sport will materialise before year’s end.
He told talkTV’s Piers Morgan: “Because the Darts Championship happens in December and January, I’m gonna say that Fury vs AJ happens this year.
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“So I’m gonna say Fury vs AJ [happens first].”
Boxing fans were set to be treated to back-to-back showdowns involving Fury and Joshua after the pair inked a lucrative two-fight series in June 2020.
But the deal went up in smoke when former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder won his arbitration case for a trilogy fight with the Gypsy King.
Joshua, 34, got himself back in world title contention in 2023 with three solid wins.
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And he solidified his status as one of the best heavyweights on the planet with a brutal knockout of former UFC champ Francis Ngannou last month.
For Fury vs Joshua to happen this year, the former must first win his upcoming back-to-back undisputed showdowns with former pound-for-pound king Oleksandr Usyk.
The contractual obligation for the pair to rematch will likely scupper Hearn’s prediction.
Meanwhile, Littler rose to global superstardom during the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship.
He stunned the world last year with an incredible run to the tournament’s final, which included wins over Raymond van Barneveld and Rob Cross.
But he was pipped to the Sid Wadell trophy by Luke Humphries, although his run to the final bagged him a spot in the Premer League of Darts.
Will AJ vs Fury actually happen?
SunSport boxing correspondent Wally Downes Jr answers the big questions around Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury finally facing each other…
Could we finally see Fury vs AJ this year?
Simply: Yes.
Before the Saudi takeover of boxing – spearheaded by Turki Alalshikh, would we have seen Fury vs Francis Ngannou, AJ vs Ngannou, Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker, Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn working together and shaking hands for photos?
Simply: No.
The rules, rankings, sanctioning bodies and broadcast and promotional disputes are all irrelevant when this much money is thrown at prize fighting.
How would it work?
It feels like the winner of Fury vs Usyk on May 18 will fight AJ as soon after as possible.
There is a rematch clause in the current deal for Britain’s WBC champ and Ukraine’s WBA, IBF and WBO king to meet and decide the first undisputed ruler for 25 years.
But it seems certain the belts will fragment afterwards – with a string of mandatory challengers due their crack at the four separate belts – so the clamour for AJ vs the winner might be bigger than the demand for a rerun for fewer belts.
Where would it happen?
It feels like every major fight is now going to happen in Saudi Arabia.
But don’t rule out a potential Fury vs Ngannou clash taking place at Wembley stadium.
It seems like the Saudis are keen to eventually host shows in the UK and that fight, at the home of football, would be some debut.
If Usyk topples the Gypsy King then the hype for him to face AJ for a third time will be far less intense.
Why this time?
It feels like we have twice come close to seeing the clash but there were simply too many hurdles and disputes in the way – similar to the way AJ vs Wilder still hasn’t happened.
But with Alalshikh now making Hearn’s Matchroom and Warren’s Queensberry play nice and letting Sky Sports, TNT and DAZN share the shows, there is far less to fight over in the boardroom and loads on to battle for in the ring.
And if Fury beats Usyk and rightfully demands a huge percentage of an overdue Joshua meeting, then the Saudi’s have the cash and the clout to hand him 99 per cent of the pie – to massage his ego and bank balance – and hand AJ as much extra dough as needed to keep everyone sweet.
Who wins?
If Fury sets up an AJ clash by beating Oleksandr Usyk – the mathematics and stats make it clear only a maniac would back Joshua to triumph in the all-English clash.
Usyk dominated AJ over two one-sided fights, on foreign soil.
The Watford man has enjoyed a spike in form and respect since linking up with new trainer Ben Davison but a 20st 6ft 9in Fury – who has just slayed the gap-toothed southpaw – would be almost invincible.
But in any major football derby or cup final the formbook is often aimed out of the window. And perhaps a rejuvenated hungry AJ could be too much for an undisputed and fulfilled Fury to handle.
Hearn and his dad Barry – unlike the darts board – had no reservations about putting him in the competition.
Recalling their conversation with the board, Eddie said: “Our answer was, ‘Yeah, absolutely. Sling him in.'”
Barry is a big fan of Littler and reckons it won’t be long before he gets his hands on the Sid Waddell trophy.
He said: “To win the world championships it might take him another year. I’ve seen players like Michael van Gerwen, at his age, do similar things – amazing things.
“And it was followed by a two or three-year period where Michael van Gerwen couldn’t win an argument.
“I think Luke Littler is more balanced and settled than Michael was, domestically and on the stage.
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“But it’s still an obstacle to overcome – the marathon of all sports.
“Forget everything else, the darts world championships is a real mental test.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
