Heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are so confident in a final deal that their respective promoters are ready to discuss the finer points.
An undisputed title battle has been deep in talks since December as both sides attempt to give British fans the encounter they crave.
Fury, the WBC champion, is set to throw his belt in the air alongside Joshua’s WBO, IBF, and WBA versions.
US handler Bob Arum is happy with the way negotiations are opening up. So much so, the American has raised the smaller details.
“I think we’ll sort through any issues and arrive at a conclusion, which is the fight that everybody wants,” Arum told Sky Sports.
“There are a lot of issues when you do a fight, as the judges. If we do it in the UK, I don’t think you have a problem with judges and officials, even if they are all Brits.
“But if the fight is in another place, then you have to work out how the officials will be assigned and so forth.”
As Fury vs. Joshua, indeed, the first fight – is not likely to happen in the UK, becoming a moot point anyway.
Saudi Arabia is the favored venue as big-money business people are ready to pay megabucks to stage the fight.
Without that matter ongoing, Arum can look at the other possible stumbling blocks. Many of which seem irrelevant to fans.
“Then you have the usual problems. Number one, what is the fight going to be called – is it Fury-Joshua, Joshua-Fury?
“Secondly, who is going to walk first, and who gets announced first?
“But those things, reasonable people work out. I don’t look at them as being economic issues.”
HEAVYWEIGHT TITLES
For his part, Hearn is concerned with making sure all the championship titles remain on the line.
He said: “Firstly, I will do everything I can to keep the belts on the line. Because for me, that is the glory.
“Standing in the ring, seeing AJ covered in every bit of silverware you can win in boxing.”
The Matchroom boss had previously stated he didn’t mind Joshua dropping the WBO belt to ensure the Fury clash happens.
It’s hoped that the WBO will see sense and allow the event to occur before mandatory Oleksandr Usyk gets his chance.
With Fury and Joshua hoping to sign off on a two-fight deal, it’s hard to see how Usyk will agree to wait that long.
More to discuss.
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