Eddie Hearn has hinted that time is ticking on the possibility of Anthony Joshua fighting Tyson Fury.
Joshua is preparing to face Daniel Dubois on Saturday 21 September at Wembley Stadium, London for the IBF heavyweight title.
The winner of this weekend’s bout will almost certainly face the winner of the rematch between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk to become the unified champion of the heavyweight division.
Talks of Joshua facing the ‘Gypsy King’ have been in the making for years, but Hearn admits that it is now or never.
- Who is Anthony Joshua? Step into the life of one of boxing’s biggest stars who is about to fight Daniel Dubois
Eddie Hearn says Joshua vs Fury needs to happen
Two-time world champion Joshua challenged Fury to fight him in June while the fighters were both “fresh” but said he wouldn’t “sit around and wait” for the fellow Brit.
Matchroom Boxing promoter Hearn believes that Joshua vs Fury would be a monumental fight regardless of the scenario, but set a deadline of the end of 2025 to make it happen.
He told BBC Sport: “I do think AJ-Fury will happen regardless of whether Fury wins or not, but the size of the fight depends on their next two results.
“If AJ beats Dubois and Fury beats Usyk, you’ve got the biggest fight in the history of the sport ever. If one loses and the other wins, it’s still a monster fight.”
Eddie Hearn says there will never be another Anthony Joshua
A win against Dubois on Saturday would be a real full-circle moment for Joshua.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist broke down in tears after back-to-back defeats to Usyk but has recovered with wins against Jermaine Franklin, Otto Wallin, and Francis Ngannou.
Should he win in London, Joshua will become a three-time heavyweight world champion, matching the likes of Muhammad Ali, Lennox Lewis, Vitali Klitschko, and Evander Holyfield.
His story has been one of the most inspirational in boxing and Hearn feels that there is nobody else who could replicate what the 34-year-old has done.
“People always ask me where the next AJ is coming from. You have to understand, this person is a one-off and there will never be another one,” the promoter said.
“Whatever you think of his boxing ability, in terms of how he has transcended the sport, changed boxing by opening up stadium fights as part of the norm, it will never be repeated.”