Eddie Hearn Claims Anthony Joshua Will Return In December Against Tyson Fury Or Deontay Wilder
Eddie Hearn says Anthony Joshua will return against either Tyson Fury or Francis Ngannou in the Middle East this December.
Joshua returned to the win column earlier this month with a lackluster decision win over Jermaine Franklin. The plan was to return this summer and set up a fight against Fury or Wilder in December, but Hearn says a July fight may not happen as the plan is to secure one of the big fights at the end of the year in the Middle East.
“For AJ, one thing’s for sure, his big fight, and it will come in the Middle East, will be in December and that will be Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder,” Hearn told iFL TV. “That’s what we’re planning. I will be going out next week to meet people to discuss AJ’s fight in December. Our focus is to get that mega fight in December over the line.
“There is no official decision as to whether or not AJ would fight in July. Some of that may come around the decision for the completion of that fight in December. I would quite like to see him fight. I think he would quite like to fight in July. But fight now he’s not in camp for a July fight. We’re focusing on getting the December fight over the line—a fight of huge proportion. Then we’ll make a decision on the July fight in the coming weeks,” Hearn continued. “I think the people who will be involved in the December fight would not want him to fight in July because, obviously, it’s a fight of such a huge proportion that you just wouldn’t want to take that risk of committing that money with the possibility of defeat, injury, or whatever it may be.”
Although Anthony Joshua wants to fight either Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder in December, Eddie Hearn is still hopeful to get him a fight in July. He believes it would be the best for his career, but the plan is for Joshua to get a big fight at the end of the year.
“AJ, as always, will be the one that makes the decision about his schedule,” Hearn said. “For me, going into a Fury fight, going into a Wilder fight, I would like for him to fight in July. I think he would and I think Derrick would. But we have to have those conversations [regarding] the December fight next week and then we’ll make a decision.”
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