Nigerian-born world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Olaseni Oluwafemi Joshua has commenced talks with fellow-Briton, Tyson ‘Gypsy King’ over the possibility of a mega-bucks unification fight between them, megasportsarena.com gathered.
Although the chances of the fight holding appeared unlikely, due to the coronavirus scourge and that Fury already has a date with America’s Deontay ‘Bronze Bomber’ Wilder, Joshua’s camp appear enthusiastic about pulling off a successful deal with the fellow-two-time world champ.
Although Wilder’s camp have issued a rebuttal of the all-British bout holding anytime soon, Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn has confirmed that a number of approaches have been made from different territories in consideration of a likely date, although a great deal remains to be done to make the fight happen, if it is influenced by extraordinary circumstances.
The WBC champion, Fury, and Joshua, who holds the IBF, WBA and WBO belts both already have assigned dates with other opponents that have been delayed, and although the lockdown has prompted the two fighters to publicly state over the last few weeks that they would consider fighting the other next, negotiations are complex.
Both fighters had been scheduled to fight Wilder and Kubrat Pulev, respectively, in Las Vegas and London, but the coronavirus pandemic has put both bouts on hold and the champs’ camps are already shifting the direction of their thoughts.
Hearn, however, insists that, no matter that it requires the annulment of other contracts, the coming together of the biggest promotional groups will be made possible, due to the most powerful sports broadcasters, TV potentials and likely irresistible financial package from the coffers of the Saudis, with the expected end to travel bans and return of crowds at events.
Until that happens, there is unlikely to be a concrete deal, unless the fight were to take place behind locked doors. ESPN have reported that if it were to take place late this year, Fury’s Dubai-based adviser, MTK, which is based in Dubai, is negotiating for the Lancastrian on behalf of his co-promoters, Top Rank and Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions.
The report adds that MTK is awaiting an offer from promoters in Saudi Arabia, with the offer to Fury needing to be large enough for them to pay Wilder some step-aside money and compel him to give up his contractual right to an immediate trilogy fight with Fury.
With regards to the negotiating details, Fury’s co-promoter Arum said: “Let’s see what type of offers we get from the Middle East because there is a real frenzy with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, with the Emirates, to do events, to open up these countries in the winter and into next year. It would be foolish for us to not consider those types of offers.”
Hearn added: “We’re talking to MTK about where that fight would take place. At the moment, the main focus for everybody is the contractual situations. The conversations between myself and MTK are that we’ve had an approach.
“We’ve had a number of approaches from territories to stage that fight. So, the only discussions at the moment are where this fight takes place – we don’t even know when this fight could take place.
“We’re certainly open to have discussions about the possibility of this happening this year or in the next fight. There’s more chance at the moment that the bigger money could come next year because we don’t even know if we can do live crowds in November, December.”
Fury responded by declaring that the thought of battling Joshua thrills him, adding: “I’ll fight in Timbuktu if the money’s right. I have a bag, and I will travel;” but Wilder’s co-manager, Shelly Finkel disagreed, as he stressed: “As far as we’re concerned, the next fight for Wilder is the third fight with Fury.”
