Eddie Hearn believes that the planned fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury would be bigger than the Olympics.
The Matchroom promoter reported that both sides have chosen a site offer that would see the first bout take place this summer, as Hearn has wanted for some time.
There is no confirmation for reports suggesting that Saudi Arabia is the chosen venue, or that the three weekends beginning July 24 are under consideration.
That would mean that the fight would almost definitely clash with the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, which were delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. A further complication is that Robert McCracken, Joshua’s trainer, would be in attendance at the Olympics as he is Great Britain’s performance director.
Hearn explained that he had little flexibility left.
“We don’t have a choice,” Hearn said, according to BoxingScene.com.
“There are too many people and things to fit around already with the fighters, trainers, countries, time zones, the Olympics.
“Whatever date we are given by the site is the date that we will go with. I know AJ and Rob have been talking, so I am sure they will work it out.
“It will depend on timings, the date we get given is when the fight takes place and the guys know it will be around the Olympics, it could be inappropriate but it is the biggest fight in boxing and the biggest moment in AJ’s career so we have to work it out.
“I know Rob takes his position very seriously, he loves the job and the kids so it’s not ideal, but we can’t move it a couple of weeks either side.
“Someone is spending a lot of money, so we have to go whenever they say.
“Both sides have accepted one specific proposal and we are finalizing that with contracts going backwards and forwards and tiny, tiny points getting ironed out.
“We haven’t finalised an exact date, July 24 is the rough date but it may leak into early August but no later than that.”
Hearn does not believe that the clash with the two events will have a major impact.
“The Olympics will be a different timezone so it’s not really in the mindset,” Hearn said.
“I know the Olympics is a huge event but I see them very differently. I know a lot of people won’t agree with me but I personally see this bigger than the Olympics. I just feel it is bigger than the Olympics, for Britain, because the world will stop to watch and it’s between two Brits.
“It’s impossible to schedule anything without clashing with something, it’s impossible so we will go on the date we are told to go on.”