By Charles Brun: Eddie Hearn continues to be optimistic that the Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury heavyweight unification match will be taking place on August 7th or 14th in Saudi despite the growing pessimism from fans.
Hearn believes that the Saudis will come through for them for the site deal, telling Sky Sports News that they’ve “delivered on every one of their promises” in the past for the Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr clash in December 2019.
It’s good for Joshua if he faces a ring rusty Fury in August, but not the other way around.
All the talk that Hearn has been doing in the media has produced no concrete results for the Joshua-Fury fight, and the fans clearly tired of it all. They’ve lost trust a long time ago and want the ordeal done with.
The interest that fans have had in the fight between the two big British heavyweights has worn away, and now many wish that they would move on.
Hearn targeting August for Joshua-Fury
“August 7th, August 14th,” Hearn continued in his Sky interview. “I think it’s a very bad secret that the fight is happening in Saudi Arabia. It’s the same people we did the deal with for Andy Ruiz, that event was spectacular.
“As partners, they were fantastic as well. We’re very comfortable. Anthony’s comfortable, he knows these people. They delivered on every one of their promises last time, we’re ready to go.”
Unfortunately, WBC champion Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) is holding back from signing for the site deal, still wanting proof of funds, which makes sense.
So unless Hearn can convince Fury that the Saudi deal will come through, it doesn’t matter how much trust he has. Fury wants proof that the cash will be there for his bank account to be fattened for the clash.
Hearn has talked of the fight being ready to be announced for weeks now, and yet it still hasn’t. At some point, it might be time for Hearn, Joshua, and Fury to move on and kick the fight down the road towards the end of the year.
There’s no shame in delaying the Joshua-Fury fight until later this year when thing site deal is ready because right now it just looks like a rush-job by Hearn a massive cluster f*** with the way things have gone.
Hearn admits that people are tired of the delay
“We’re in a stage where people are getting frustrated,” said Hearn. ‘The deal is done. Now we’re on the finer details of the contract…
“We’re ready to go from our side. We’re not far away from their side, and it is inevitable,” said Hearn.
The boxing public would be more trusting of what Hearn says if he’d have gotten the Joshua vs. Fury fight done months ago, but it’s clearly dragged on way too long.
It’s not dire for Joshua, as he fought just last December against Kubruat Pulev, but for Fury, it’s not a real negative that he’s been sitting inactive, collecting dust and getting fat.
Fury’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank wants to get him back in the ring in July, and he’s quite capable of doing so. With the ring rust that Fury has on him, he’s better off taking a tune-up first before fighting Joshua later this year.
Arum will act quickly to make a fight for Fury because he’s not going to have to jump through hurdles to find a site deal the way Hearn is doing. Fury’s fight in July would likely take place in the U.S, which will make things easy to put together.
American boxing fans would arguably prefer to see Fury fight Deontay Wilder than a match against Joshua anyway, as it’s someone that brings more drama to the fight.
There’s also the revenge factor that will attract a great deal of interest from U.S fans.
Fury stopped Wilder a year ago by a seventh-round knockout, but ‘The Bronze Bomber’ was fighting without his right arm due to a bicep injury.