Anthony Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has brushed off Tyson Fury’s comments. Fury suggested that their long-awaited fight might not take place. Hearn is confident that the match will happen unless something serious occurs.
Fury and Joshua are both set to fight this week. Fury will face Poland’s Mariusz Wach while Joshua takes on Albania’s Kristian Prenga. Both fights are seen as crucial warm-ups for their upcoming ‘Battle of Britain’.
Fury, who is 37, will fight Wach in Pattaya, Thailand on Friday. This match will not be broadcast live and is more of a charity event. Joshua, aged 36, will fight Prenga the next day in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Fans hope to see Fury and Joshua meet in November. The exact date and venue are still unknown. Many boxing fans wished they had fought when one of them was still holding a championship belt.
This fight will be Joshua’s first since a car accident in Nigeria last December. The crash sadly killed two of his close friends. Joshua is still coping with the loss of Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele, who died in that incident.
Fury recently told Sky Sports that he is ready to fight “somebody else” later this year. But Hearn believes that Fury is more likely to pull out based on his past actions.
“Look at history,” Hearn said in an interview. “Check the facts, check the resume. If you really want to pick one fighter who’s more reliable than the other, I don’t think it’s a close-run race.”
Hearn continued, “What fight has AJ ever pulled out of? Don’t forget, AJ has fought every contender he could have. He also signed to fight Tyson Fury, who pulled out due to an arbitration ruling with Deontay Wilder.”
Hearn added, “The only thing that’s going to stop the fight from happening in November is if one of these guys gets beat this weekend or picks up an injury.”
Joshua spoke on Wednesday about still dealing with the deaths of his friends. “It’s tough, every time I think about it, it hurts,” he told the BBC. “Even talking about it now… pictures… it hurts but I keep my mind occupied, you know. If I stop, you let it sink in and I’m not ready for it to sink in yet.”
Ghami was Joshua’s main sport and exercise rehabilitation coach for over ten years. Ayodele was also a close friend and his personal trainer.
This Saturday’s fight will be Joshua’s first since losing to IBF world champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September 2024.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇