"It would be an absolute honour and a dream to promote Tyson Fury against Anthony Joshua in the UK"
Tuesday 25 February 2020 09:40, UK
Anthony Joshua's undisputed world heavyweight title fight against Tyson Fury deserves a 'dream' location in Britain, says promoter Eddie Hearn.
Matchroom Boxing boss Hearn has revealed he wants Joshua to put his WBA 'super', IBF and WBO belts at stake against newly-crowned WBC champion Tyson Fury this summer, or later in 2020 if Deontay Wilder invokes an immediate rematch after losing the WBC belt in a stoppage loss.
Joshua regained his world titles with a rematch win over Andy Ruiz Jr in Saudi Arabia, while Fury toppled Wilder in Las Vegas, but Hearn wants the Brit rivals to share the ring in front of a massive audience on home soil.
"You've got two teams and all the options are put into the middle," Hearn told Sky Sports News. "You have to think Tyson Fury has boxed his last four fights in America. There's a reason for that, there's more money in America than there is in the UK.
"Anthony Joshua has boxed his last two fights out of the country. One in Madison Square Garden, one in Saudi Arabia. Now he wants to come home.
"It would be an absolute honour and a dream to promote Tyson Fury against Anthony Joshua in the UK. Everything in the common sense world tells you that's where it should be.
"We also know in a common sense world that all these offers are going to come around from all over the world to stage this fight. I can't lie to you and tell you they'll be ignored, because they won't be.
"But I do believe if you ask AJ and Fury, hand on heart, where do you want this fight? They would say the UK and the same with me.
"But we do know that this fight has not just become the biggest fight in British boxing history, this could be the biggest fight in the history of the sport. This could be one of the biggest sporting events globally, ever. If we can do it here, what an occasion it would be for us."
Fury's US promotional team Top Rank have indicated that they also want to stage a fight with Joshua and would be willing to consider all options for the venue.
"While we have momentum now, I'd love to see the fight later this year," Top Rank president Todd DuBoef told Sky Sports last week.
"[Joshua vs Fury] is massive across the board. We must listen to the fans, listen to the world, listen to the people supporting boxing by making these compelling matches as soon as possible.
"It's a fight that crosses over beautifully to both. Since Fury joined our ship he has become a star in the US, and he garners a lot of attention. Joshua's interest is UK driven just because he hasn't pushed his flag into the US as much as Fury. But the world heavyweight champion works wherever."
Fury could instead face Wilder again next, if the American's team activate a clause in his contract for a third fight, which would mean Joshua goes ahead with an expected fight against IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 20.
Dillian Whyte is the mandatory challenger for Fury's WBC belt, but will not receive his guaranteed title shot until February 2021 and is set to fight Alexander Povetkin next.
