Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
‘We have to make AJ fight happen’ Hearn tells Gypsy King Fury
ANTHONY Joshua’ s promoter Eddie Hearn insists he will do everything possible to set up a unification fight this year against Tyson Fury, saying “it has become the biggest fight in the history of the sport worldwide”.
Fury won the WBC world heavyweight title after stopping Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas to inflict the first defeat of the American’s professional career – 14 months on from their controversial draw in Los Angeles.
The vast majority of observers believed Fury was the rightful winner of that first fight but he underlined his dominance at the MGM Grand on Saturday night with a resounding display in which he twice knocked Wilder to the canvas before the towel came in during the seventh round.
Fellow-Briton Joshua holds the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO titles after winning his rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr last year and Hearn believes the two camps now have a once in a lifetime chance to make a unification fight happen.
Hearn said: “What a time for British boxing. To have one world heavyweight champion would be great but to have two with all the belts, we will never see it again.
“I have said and I will make this clear, we have to make this fight happen. We will never get the chance for two Brits to fight for an undisputed heavyweight world championship.
“I will promise you we will do everything we can to make this fight happen.
“The first thing is that Wilder has the rematch clause. I don’t think anyone wants to see a third fight, it was that conclusive, but we will see if he wants to exercise that. I probably expect Wilder to take the rematch. I don’t see where else he has to go.
“I have already spoken to AJ, he wants this fight. He has zero fear of fighting Tyson Fury.”