Eddie Hearn has confirmed Anthony Joshua could still face Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia this year, even if Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk doesn’t happen.
Joshua recently fought for the first time in eight months, as he defeated Jermaine Franklin by unanimous decision in April.
Fury and Usyk were in talks for a fight that would crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion in two decades, but they could not agree on financial terms.
Hearn previously revealed an epic card proposed to him in the Middle East and has now insisted the organisers are ‘deadly serious’ about staging both fights on the same night.
“The situation is Saudi Arabia would like to do Fury against Usyk and AJ against Wilder that are on the same night,” told The Fight Is Right.
“I went out there two weeks ago and they are deadly serious. I’ve done two big fights with them before. I know they deliver.
“As I understand it, they have been doing their own negotiations with Deontay Wilder, which have gone very well.
“They have been talking to Usyk for a year because obviously, he boxed AJ over there.
“They know the rough kind of numbers we want based on what we received for the Andy Ruiz fight and the Usyk fight in Saudi Arabia.
“Fury is another story altogether, but not my business. All I’m concerned about is doing the deal for AJ against Wilder.
“If they can’t get Usyk and Fury over the line, they will still do AJ against Wilder. They want this big quartet though.”
Doubts emerged over the fight last week when Wilder was arrested and booked on a charge of possession of a concealed weapon. He was released after posting a $35,000 bond.
If the fight does go ahead, Fury expects the American to come out on top, as he said in a press conference while on holiday in Tenerife: ‘I think we all know what happens.
“I’d love for AJ to knock him out because Wilder’s a little b**** but I just see him getting chinned.”
Fury has fought the Bronze Bomber three times with one draw and two wins for the Brit.
