Anthony Joshua may fight Usyk, Fury, this year – Eddie Hearn

There is still a possibility that Anthony Joshua may face Tyson Fury later this year, as stated by Eddie Hearn, his promoter.

The Gypsy King suffered his first professional loss over the weekend to Oleksandr Usyk, missing out on the opportunity to become the undisputed heavyweight champion as Usyk now holds all the belts.

Fury is set for a rematch in October, requiring him to resume training in August after a short break. While Fury mentioned the importance of taking some time off, Hearn suggested that a potential rematch between the two Brits or a third bout with Usyk could be in the works.

He expressed on Matchroom’s YouTube channel that Fury may not be thrilled about only having five or six weeks off, but due to financial obligations, it might be necessary.

Hearn also raised the possibility of Fury facing Joshua if Usyk is unable to compete on schedule, with the winner then taking on Usyk. In his view, he enthusiastically supports this idea by saying, Yes, please.

It ultimately rests on His Excellency [Turki Al-Sheikh] and the fighters to make the decisions. While they have a scheduled rematch, their physical readiness for the event remains a crucial factor to address.

Joshua’s most recent bout was in March against Francis Ngannou, but his defeats to Andy Ruiz Jr and Usyk since 2019 have delayed his opportunity to reclaim his belts.

Despite ongoing discussions about Joshua and Fury facing off in the past, these plans never materialized due to mutual blame between their camps. The two boxers engaged in a public exchange on social media, with Fury setting a deadline for AJ and his team to finalize the deal.

Hearn, in a subsequent interview with TalkSport, criticized Fury for being overly optimistic about the timeline for making the fight happen.

He maintained that Joshua would never back down from a challenge, emphasizing that major fights cannot be arranged within a short span of time.

Collaboration with George Warren was progressing smoothly despite Fury’s insistence on a 48-hour deadline for finalizing the contract, which was far from completion.

Fury is currently focused on seeking vengeance against Usyk this year, as he remains convinced that he actually emerged victorious in their bout in Saudi Arabia.

Reflecting on the match, Fury asserted his belief that he had won the majority of rounds and deemed it as one of those unpredictable decisions often seen in boxing.