There is no contract, no venue, and no agreement in place. Hearn made it clear that the situation has been overstated, explaining that only early conversations have taken place and nothing has moved beyond that stage.
The promoter pointed to recent claims about locations and timelines as premature, saying the process has not reached the point where a date or site can even be discussed seriously.
Part of Hearn’s frustration is likely directed at the reports from Gareth A. Davies, who claimed the Fury-AJ fight was “signed” for Netflix. Hearn had to go on a media tour just to debunk that, which explains why he’s pulling things “back to basics.”
“Gareth Davies was a big jump of the gun. Kalle (Sauerland) has had a big jump of the gun as well,” said Hearn to the media.
It feels like Hearn is trying to manage expectations in a year where his biggest star (Joshua) is dealing with personal tragedy and his biggest potential payday (Fury) is one punch away from being irrelevant if Makhmudov pulls the upset.
“There is absolutely no agreement between AJ and Fury. There is no contract signed. There is no venue agreed. There is absolutely nothing,” said Hearn.
“We haven’t even got a proposed contract for a date, a venue, nothing. Just conversations about how we get to that fight.”
Venues such as Wembley, Croke Park, and Riyadh have been mentioned, but those are options rather than decisions, with no formal structure behind them at this point.
Hearn also indicated that Joshua’s next move is likely to come before any Fury fight is finalized. A return in July remains the working plan, with the expectation that Joshua will take a fight first before revisiting the Fury negotiations. No opponent has been identified, and names circulating publicly have not been part of internal discussions.
It makes sense why Hearn’s energy felt a bit flat. There is a lot of “wait and see” happening right now, and he’s clearly tired of answering for rumors that aren’t grounded in reality.
Tyson Fury is scheduled to face Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. This is Fury’s first fight in 16 months since his “retirement” following the Usyk losses.
Hearn’s lack of enthusiasm likely stems from the fact that Makhmudov is a massive, dangerous puncher. If Fury loses or looks terrible, the “mega-fight” value for a Joshua showdown drops significantly. Until that April 11 result is in, Hearn can’t plan anything with certainty.
Joshua’s situation is complicated by more than just boxing. He’s returning after a tragic car accident in Nigeria earlier this year that claimed the lives of two close friends.
Hearn is aiming for a July return, but he’s being protective. He won’t commit to a name until AJ is fully back in camp and shows he’s mentally and physically ready.
Names like Moses Itauma (who just destroyed Jermaine Franklin) are being called out, but that’s a massive risk for a comeback fight. Hearn is likely looking for a reliable win to get the engine running again.
Read the full article here