Contract signed, Joshua vs Fury fight still on, Eddie Hearn insists

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Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury’s highly anticipated heavyweight showdown will go ahead, according to Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn, despite recent doubts raised by Fury.

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Hearn said the fight is effectively locked in after both boxers signed contracts, insisting neither fighter can simply withdraw from the agreement.

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Fury had suggested earlier in the week that the long-awaited British heavyweight clash “doesn’t look like it is going to happen”, fuelling fresh uncertainty over the bout.

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However, speaking to DAZN, Hearn dismissed the concerns and said negotiations were now focused on finalising the date and venue.

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“We’ve signed the contract, we’re waiting for a date. You saw Tyson Fury shouting and screaming … There’s nothing to shout and scream about, the fight’s done,” Hearn said.

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“The fight’s signed. No one can pull out of the fight. You can’t just pull out of a contract.

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“There’s no suggestion that the fight’s not happening, no one can stop this fight from happening. The only way it can stop from happening is if they actually breach the contract.”

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A November date has reportedly been discussed for the contest, but the venue remains unresolved.

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Both Joshua and Fury have signed separate agreements with Saudi Arabian-owned boxing promoter Sela, which is involved in organising the highly anticipated bout.

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While Sela reportedly favours staging the fight at Madison Square Garden in New York, Hearn said Joshua’s camp would prefer the contest to take place in the United Kingdom.

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“We know everybody and his dog involved in the fight wants to do the fight in America. We don’t,” Hearn said.

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“We’ve told Sela and the team if you want to do it in America, these are the terms that we can move forward with. But we’d rather not please.”

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The venue issue has become one of the major outstanding matters surrounding a fight that has been years in the making.

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Hearn has previously maintained that Joshua’s contract includes a provision for the bout to be staged in the UK, although he has indicated that the terms would need to be renegotiated if the fight is moved abroad.

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Fury and Joshua are two of Britain’s biggest heavyweight stars, and their meeting has been one of the most anticipated fights in boxing for years.

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With the contracts signed, attention is now on the organisers to settle the venue and officially announce the date for the bout.

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