Hearn hopes to see Joshua-Fury bout this year!

TOP promoter Barry Hearn has promised to lead sport’s great escape from lockdown.

Hearn has already launched the Professional Darts Corporation Home Tour this month and, earlier this week, announced new dates to stage the postponed World Snooker Championship.

He also has plans to get boxing onto our television screens soon and even hopes Anthony Joshua’s massive potential clash with Tyson Fury can be staged this year.

Snooker’s blue-riband event should be being played now in Sheffield but, despite the coronavirus, hard-working Hearn has been able to agree new dates of July 31-August 16 for the 17-day tournament to take place at the Crucible Theatre.

‘In my 45 years in sport this is the most complicated scenario I’ve ever come up against,’ said Hearn.

‘It’s unique in our lifetime, but it’s a time for character, resolve and to find the determination to get the job done as quickly and as safely as we possibly can.

‘We’re doing everything we can to come up with ideas to keep players earning in a safe environment.

‘We’ve got to make sure we’ve got something to look forward to in these tragic times.’

Hearn suffered a minor heart attack earlier this month but the dedicated promoter is showing no signs of slowing down.

And he was quick to stress that the prize money levels will not be reduced. This year’s snooker world champion will pocket a record £500,000 and Hearn added: ‘I’ve made a commitment to the players — the prize money remains unaltered at any level whatever the situation is.’

On the boxing front, although Joshua’s world title defence against Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev has been postponed until June 20 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Hearn and his son Eddie have big plans for the coming months. ‘It may be some time before we can do the big arena shows — and that’s where Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury belong,’ said Hearn.

‘I’m confident [about it happening] because the demand for that fight is huge.

‘I’d say there’s a 50/50 chance of it happening this year, if not a 95 per cent chance of it happening early next year. Eddie is working on so many creative ideas to bring boxing back to our screens, even if that might be behind closed doors to start with.’