Eddie Hearn, promoter for IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, says the 2021 unification with WBC champion Tyson Fury is unlikely to take place on UK soil.
The fight, which is arguably the biggest fight in the sport, will be pursued by groups in numerous countries.
Investment groups in Saudi Arabia and China are expected to make significant offers to secure the rights to host that event. Casinos in Las Vegas are expected to come to the table as well.
Venues in the UK will find it very difficult, at least financially, to secure that fight.
Joshua's last bout, a December rematch with Andy Ruiz, was scooped up for a tremendous amount of money by Saudi Arabia.
Fury will first take part in a trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder before the year is over, while Joshua is going to defend his world titles against mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev.
If both champions win, their respective camps will work together to finalize a two-fight deal.
"If we can do the fight in the UK, fantastic, (but) we know Saudi Arabia would love to have this fight. We had a wonderful experience last time with the Andy Ruiz fight. We've had offers from China, we've had offers from around the world. This is the biggest fight in boxing, it doesn't get any bigger," Hearn said.
"There's not going to be any country that stages major events that won't want this fight. Everyone will talk about this fight taking place in the UK but it doesn't work like that.
"We have to go back to report the offers to these people's teams. It's a dangerous sport so let them make their money. It's a two-fight deal so one will take place in an alternative venue to the other fight. If we can do the fight in the UK, fantastic."
https://www.boxingscene.com/fury-joshua-showdown-not-likely-happen-uk-says-hearn--149495
I saw fight 1 for the first time the other day. How rigged.
This is the problem with scoring in boxing. Everything else was pretty much equal except for the 2 knocked downs - one which looked lethal. Those 2 knock downs should have determined the fight because everything else was equal. There are not enough 10/10 or 10/7 rounds given in boxing.
Watching fight 2 in the next few days.
Along with the Welli v Joanna MMA fight, the best combat sports fight I have seen in years. Those sort of fights (wars) take a toll on both fighters. I love Fury and glad he won.....but I have total respect for the effort Wilder put into that fight. Wilder may have been outclassed but he was equal in heart to Fury.Fury is just too smart… figured out in the 2nd fight that he couldn’t handle his size and just mauled him.
sure he got caught… but Wilder would have been far more dangerous if Fury fought at distance like he did the first fight.
He still would have likely boxed his face off but by leaning on him and using his size and weight advantage he just smothered Wilders big punches.
Wilder just didn’t have enough space to throw his power consistently and just faded.
kinda reminded me a little bit of what Holyfield did to Tyson… obviously not as big… but similar plan… bully him and use his size to suffocate his power.
Shows you how good Fury is… he can switch back to a slick boxing style when the matchup is right.
That seems to be the prevailing thought since the fight…Along with the Welli v Joanna MMA fight, the best combat sports fight I have seen in years. Those sort of fights (wars) take a toll on both fighters. I love Fury and glad he won.....but I have total respect for the effort Wilder put into that fight. Wilder may have been outclassed but he was equal in heart to Fury.
Points wise, Fury dominated the fight with his skill and endurance. What made today's fight exciting was that despite Wilder taking a pounding, he had his moments and the weapons to finish the fight.That seems to be the prevailing thought since the fight…
but TBH… I actually thought the first fight was better… that’s just me… but that fight was a boxing clinic by Fury interrupted by moments of absolute power by Wilder.
culminating in the 12th round where Fury looked finished and got up like the undertaker and then preceded to win the rest of that round… the decision was BS… but the fight was great.
if you take away the double knockdown round for Wilder… and the first round where Fury was feeling him out… the rest of the fight was a bit of a sloppy beat down by Fury IMO…
plenty of heart by Wilder but TBH… heart without the skill can be nothing more than a punching bag.
don’t get me wrong it was a great fight with a big moment in the middle rounds… but I just thought the first was better IMO…
kinda reminded me a little bit of what Holyfield did to Tyson… obviously not as big… but similar plan… bully him and use his size to suffocate his power.
Volkanovski/Ortega recently was sensational. Agree that this fight and the ladies fight you mentioned round out the top 3 in the last few years.Along with the Welli v Joanna MMA fight, the best combat sports fight I have seen in years. Those sort of fights (wars) take a toll on both fighters. I love Fury and glad he won.....but I have total respect for the effort Wilder put into that fight. Wilder may have been outclassed but he was equal in heart to Fury.