Thursday 1 September 2016 18:42, UK
Eddie Hearn has set his sights on a heavyweight triple-header topped by Anthony Joshua, but admits he has plenty of "hurdles to overcome" to get there.
Joshua is expected to make the second defence of his IBF world heavyweight title in late November or early December, away from The O2 in London for the first time in six fights.
Promoter Hearn has pencilled in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff for a huge heavyweight night that is likely to include IBF mandatory challenger Joseph Parker as well as an all-British battle between rivals Dillian Whyte (18-1-KO14) and Dereck Chisora (25-6-KO17).
But with former world champion Bermane Stiverne (25-2-1-KO21) taking on Alexander Povetkin (30-1-KO22) in a WBC eliminator, and negotiations with Kubrat Pulev (23-1-KO12) already "frustrating" him, Hearn admits there is plenty of work to be done.
We've got six hurdles to overcome and so far Anthony Joshua's the only one who's not a problem, He'll fight anyone.
"Everything makes sense at the moment but for all of it to fall into place, so much needs to happen," he told Sky Sports.
"There are two parts to every fight. Those three fights, that's six parts that have to fall into place and that's six fighters accepting the terms. We've got six hurdles to overcome and so far, Joshua's the only one who's not a problem. He'll fight anyone.
"Price is interested in the fight and Parker is interested in the fight but we need to talk terms with them.
"As for Chisora against Whyte, I think we all know they both want to fight, but we haven't really discussed the terms yet, so there is so much that needs to happen. But if it is big enough and the numbers make sense, it can happen.
"One of the keys is though, if none of these want to fight AJ, then we will go straight for Parker. Let's say all of them don't want to do it and Pulev doesn't want to do it, we can't do it Parker against Price because we'd need to do AJ against Parker."
Price, Chisora and Pulev are all promoted by Kalle and Nisse Sauerland and Hearn expects to hold a meeting at the Jurgen Brahmer-Nathan Cleverly press conference on Thursday in a bid to finalise future plans for the Joshua bill.
In recent weeks, Price has called for a fight with Joshua, but the Matchroom boss would like to put the Liverpudlian in with Parker first.
"May the best man win if Price and Parker happens," he said.
"Whoever wins that fight, they get a shot at AJ. People are saying to me 'Parker doesn't have to earn his shot' and quite right, he could sit and wait but he doesn't - he wants to be in real fights and showcase himself to the UK public and that interests me.
"If Parker is the real deal, which he could well be, he will beat David Price - in my opinion. If he does, it'll be a great fight and a great knockout and it makes the Joshua-Parker fight huge. That really interests me.
"But then what happens if Price does that? It immediately becomes a huge fight between him and AJ."
Hearn also admits there is a three-fight plan in place for Joshua, which could see him return to The O2 in March, before a Wembley Stadium showdown with either David Haye, Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder.
But he accepts he cannot look too far ahead and is still working on Joshua's second world title defence at the end of the year.
"We still might not able to do it at the Millennium Stadium and we might have to go back to our Manchester plan, so all things are pure speculation but are also in the works," said Hearn.
"Until thing starts slotting in, I can't tell you the dates, the venue, the fights, or the undercard, but in time this will fall into place.
"We've already got a three-fight plan mapped out, which is November/December, March at The O2 then July at Wembley, which will either be against Haye, Fury or Wilder.
"This night in November or December is going to be huge. The Parker fight could be for March, or it could even be David Price if he is to fight and knock out Joseph Parker and then we want Haye, Fury or Wilder next summer."
