•“If he (Fury) really wants to fight, he’ll let the teams deal with it,” — Joshua’s promoter Hearn
Image: FILE
There is “no chance” the contract for a proposed all-British heavyweight world title fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will be signed on Monday, says promoter Eddie Hearn.
Monday is the deadline set by WBC champion Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren. On Friday, Fury said Joshua “does not want to fight” him, with 3 December being mooted as the date for the bout.
“If he (Fury) really wants to fight, he’ll let the teams deal with it,” said Joshua’s promoter Hearn on Seconds Out.
Fury, 34, offered Joshua the fight despite the 32-year-old suffering a second successive defeat by Oleksandr Usyk in August and failing to regain the WBA (Super), WBO and IBF belts he lost to the Ukrainian in September 2021.
Joshua’s team said they have “accepted all terms” of the offer. Warren said “there shouldn’t be a reason” why the contract could not be signed on Monday.
“I am hoping on Monday we’ll be able to get it over the line. I don’t think there’s a lot of issues and the only thing I think can hold it up at the minute is the broadcasters,” he told BBC Sport on Saturday.
“AJ said he wanted the fight. We’ve agreed on the financial terms and we’ve told them they can be involved in all the contracts, setting the budgets for the under-card, everything.”
However, Hearn said his team was getting the contract checked, claiming it was “all over the place” after waiting nine days to receive it.
“If he doesn’t (want to fight Joshua), and I guess he doesn’t, then he’ll do what he’ll do and the fans might even fall for it,” Hearn said. “But what I am seeing, the fans aren’t falling for it.
“We have a meeting on Monday, with DAZN, with BT, with everybody but it’s going to take time. If he wants to put a time frame of Monday on it then it’s clear to the whole public he doesn’t want the fight.
“It’s not getting signed on Monday so if he is walking away on Monday the fight is off.”
Meanwhile, Britain's Joe Joyce walked through the best New Zealander Joseph Parker had to offer to knock out his rival in the 11th round of a thrilling fight in Manchester.
The heavyweights went toe-to-toe in a back-and-forth contest before a stunning left hook landed flush on Parker's chin.
Joyce claimed the WBO interim heavyweight title with the biggest win of his career and now has his eyes set on challenging heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in 2023.
The Briton's step up in class had been debated after 14 professional fights against lower-level opponents. He turned 37 this week having only turned pro when he was 31 after a late start to his amateur career.
But Joyce showed a granite chin to become the first man to stop Parker, a former world champion.