Eddie Hearn has received some positive indication that one of the most intriguing heavyweight fights could happen later this year.

In a recent interview, the Matchroom head expressed optimism that a deal could be struck for his charge, former heavyweight titlist Anthony Joshua, to face Deontay Wilder in December in Saudi Arabia.

Much has been made about a possible heavyweight bonanza to take place at the end of the year in the Oil Kingdom involving Wilder vs Joshua and a heavyweight unification fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury all on the same card.

Recently, a widely circulated video showed Joshua confirming to a fight that he will be fighting Tuscaloosa, Alabama's Wilder.

“It’s on. We’re being told that Wilder is in,” Hearn told Boxing Social. “And subject to finalizing some of the terms—Again, we know these people, we’ve dealt with them at various times—We’re in. So in his mind, he’s fighting Deontay Wilder in December.”

Added Hearn, “We’re up for it. We have some concrete offers coming this week for this fight and I don’t see an issue. …I don’t see a problem from our end.”

Hearn also stated that he is bullish on Joshua getting back into the ring by the end of the summer. Hearn, however, realizes that that development is contingent on how successful he is in striking a deal with Wilder’s team.

Hearn pointed out that if Joshua ends up fighting in the summer, it will not be against an elite heavyweight. Joshua returned to the ring last month for the first time since his two consecutive defeats to Usyk, defeating Jermaine Franklin by unanimous decision. It was Joshua’s first fight under new trainer Derrick James.

“Once that gets papered (the Wilder fight), we then work backwards to the end of July to the first week of August,” Hearn said. “I want him to fight (in the summer). I think he wants to fight. I think Derrick James wants him to fight. We just have to pick the right opponent. What it is, it’s really a preparation for that Wilder fight.

“You can’t [prepare for Wilder], but in a sense what you can do is you can cement everything you’ve been doing. You can get more confident. You can get more comfortable with your team and your tactics. So you need proper opposition but at the same time you’re not going to fight a Top-5 guy when you’ve got one of the biggest fights in the world a few months later. My priority at the moment is to secure the Deontay Wilder fight and every other decision will stem off that.”

Sean Nam is the author of the forthcoming book Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing.