Eddie Hearn, promoter for IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, believes a unification with WBC champion Tyson Fury will come together in 2021.
The two sides agreed on the financial terms for a two fight series in 2021.
But with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it's hard to imagine a stadium filled with thousands of fans to watch a Fury-Joshua encounter.
If the pandemic plays out into next year, Hearn admits the two parties will have to get very creative in their strategy to stage the event.
“I think if that’s the world we end up living in, we have no choice but to find a model that can make that happen. I’m really pleased with Fight Camp because it’s been a huge project that’s brought a lot of publicity to the sport," Hearn said to Talk Sport.
“But the reality is, as we know in boxing, there’s nothing like live crowds. That’s what we live and breathe for.”
But before such a fight can happen, there are many hurdles to overcome.
Fury has a trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder in December, while Joshua may return in the same month against Kubrat Pulev. Fury also has a mandatory due in 2021 against Dillian Whyte, and Joshua has a mandatory of his own against Oleksandr Usyk.
“I mean you’ve got so many things in the mix, you’ve got Dillian Whyte who’s gonna be the mandatory for Fury. Fury’s gotta fight Wilder, AJ’s gotta fight Pulev. But we have agreed with Fury and his team that we’ll do those two fights next year," Hearn said.
“One won’t be until the summer and the other one at the end of the year. So right now, I don’t wanna dampen hopes for fight fans, but right now it’s one fight at a time.”
