The anticipated Anthony Joshua versus Tyson Fury showdown could be derailed if either man loses a tune-up bout beforehand, says promoter Eddie Hearn.
Both Joshua and Fury have signed to fight each other later this year. AJ will have a comeback bout on July 25 in Saudi Arabia and Fury is looking to have a tune-up contest of his own in the summer.
Neither can afford to lose either of those fights. If they do – “it’s over,” says Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn.
Hearn’s Warning: A Loss Means No Fury Fight
“In my opinion if either fighter loses, you cannot do the fight,” Hearn told Sky Sports.
“I will feel sick at the ringwalk on July 25. Especially with what AJ’s come back from. I mean there is that worry. Will he be the same? Everything we see in camp and in sparring lends us to suggest yes. But there’s a lot to overcome. That’s the importance of this fight as well in July.”
He added: “Now we have signed to fight Tyson Fury. He has signed to fight Anthony Joshua. The only thing that stands in the way is July 25.”
Potential Face-Off in Riyadh
Joshua and Fury did not face off after the latter’s comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov. But the promoter hopes Fury will be in attendance for Joshua’s upcoming fight against Kristian Prenga.
“I’d be shocked if he wasn’t in Riyadh July 25. Because that’s the moment,” Hearn said. “They’ve never come face to face. When they come face to face for the first time, it will give every sports fans the shivers. Because this [fight] is something they will never forget.”
Hearn is open to Fury having his warm-up on that same bill as Joshua in Riyadh.
Fury’s Warm-Up Fight
“We don’t have a problem with that. That’s down to Turki [Alalshikh] to see where he wants to land. It might be difficult for Fury to go underneath Joshua on that card I don’t know,” Hearn noted.
“I don’t think he [Fury] is going to be having a fight of any significance, even not the likes of Makhmudov. I don’t even think they’d have a fight at that level. They’ve got to do what they’ve got to do. They’ve just had 12 good rounds and we look forward to hopefully less rounds than that but going through the gears and warming up for the big one.
“I think everybody’s extremely focused, now that both fighters have signed, on just getting through the next couple of months and making sure we can give the world this mega-event.”