Promoter Eddie Hearn remains confident that a long-awaited showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua is still possible, suggesting that a simple direct message or phone call between the heavyweight stars could make the fight a reality.
Fury, 36, retired from boxing following a second consecutive defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, the reigning WBA (Super), WBC, and WBO heavyweight champion, in December.
Meanwhile, 35-year-old Joshua has been out of the ring since suffering a loss to IBF titleholder Daniel Dubois in September.
“This is the kind of fight that probably gets made over a DM, a text, or a call,” said Hearn, who represents Joshua. “It’s like ‘look, do you fancy it?’ That’s it. And then, bang, it’s done.”
Both Fury and Joshua are two-time heavyweight world champions and generational icons of British boxing. Despite numerous discussions in the past, negotiations for a super-fight have repeatedly stalled. Still, Hearn believes the timing could align now, as both fighters are still “relatively in their prime.”
“Before AJ lost to Dubois, everyone said this is the best AJ we’ve ever seen,” Hearn said. “And Fury never really showed any signs of decline against Usyk—he just got beat by the pound-for-pound number one.”
While Joshua is expected to return to the ring by the end of 2025, Hearn believes the window for such a fight is narrowing. “If AJ was to lose again, [the Fury fight] isn’t really there anymore. Maybe his career isn’t either,” he admitted.
Fury’s co-promoter Bob Arum recently cast doubt on the fighter’s return to boxing, but Hearn dismissed this, claiming the relationship between Fury and Arum has “never really been the closest.” He added, “Tyson looks in great shape. I think he said the other day he’s training twice a day, so it’d be very easy for him to go into a 10-week camp.”
Hearn hopes the stars will align for a fight that has captivated fans for years, concluding, “We’ll see what the boxing gods allow.”
