Eddie Hearn is certain that Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will fight twice in 2021 as currently planned.
The pair are expected to meet to contest Fury’s WBC and Ring titles, and Anthony Joshua’s IBF, WBA, IBO and potentially his WBO belt — though the latter may be vacated in order to skip a mandatory fight from Oleksandr Usyk.
First, though, both have to win their next fights.
For Fury, that is an as-yet-unnamed opponent on Dec. 5.
“Fury is definitely having a fight on Dec. 5 against a run-off opponent,” Hearn told the Ak & Barak Show.
The Matchroom promoter believes that Deontay Wilder has now missed his chance to face off with Fury in their planned trilogy match, and Hearn expressed his ignorance over just what had gone on.
“With Deontay Wilder, I have zero clue what is happening in his camp, something doesn’t make sense,” he explained.
If he doesn’t rematch Tyson Fury, he will not get another shot at the world heavyweight title for years”
“Once 2021 starts, Wilder will not be in the conversation because Tyson Fury will be fighting Anthony Joshua twice in 2021.”
He then clarified his plans for details on the Fury-Joshua fight, giving a date and an update on the negotiations yet to be settled.
“I cannot see any way Fury-Joshua will not happen on April 21. The only thing we are working on is broadcast rights,” he claimed.
“Both Fury and Joshua's teams are good with it. Both sides think that they will win. This is the only fight to make in 2021, and it will be the biggest fight not only in British boxing, but in world boxing.
“I want AJ to become the undisputed world champion, and we are very close to making this happen.”