Fury Joshua: An undisputed heavyweight battle between British world champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua faces a massive crisis point.
The fight gets heavily questioned because Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum doesn’t believe it’s happening. However, Joshua’s handler Eddie Hearn insists it is.
Their latest spat saw Arum say the deal was “dead in the water.” Hearn responded by assuring fans it gets done this week.
“This fight is on. This fight is happening, as I told everyone last week. Back and forwards with the drafts.
“I believe you’ll get an announcement next week. I don’t know what else to tell you.
“But I saw Bob Arum’s comments, ‘The fight is dead.’ I don’t know where that came from.”
Now, Hearn has laid down a firm marker here. By stating the confirmation is coming this week, he’s put himself in a huge hole.
Should Fury vs. Joshua be delayed again, and that’s entirely possible judging how things have gone so far, his supporters may begin to disbelieve.
On social media, it’s firmly been a case of “in Eddie, we trust” when it comes to the UK contingent. His many defenders have been out in force, sticking it to Arum’s comments.
FURY JOSHUA DEADLINE
But if something goes wrong again, and this deal doesn’t happen by this Friday, there may be many that turn to the side of Fury when it comes to enough is enough.
“The Gypsy King” has threatened to walk away on more than one occasion and has old foe, Deontay Wilder, on standby for the third fight.
Meanwhile, the WBC ruler continues to train in Las Vegas for whoever is next. Trainer Andy Lee gave an update to Sky Sports on Monday.
“He hasn’t stopped training. He hasn’t skipped a beat,” Lee told Sky. “Tyson trains hard anyway. He pushes himself further and further every day.
“You think: ‘Where is the ceiling?’ But he keeps going and going and going.
“He took the lads up Mount Charleston – Badou Jack, Jesse Magdaleno, some other Mexicans. But they all quit on him. He did seven miles up this mountain, pushing so hard.
“He is physically in great shape,” he added.
Phil Jay is the Editor of WBN. An Auxiliary member of the Boxing Writers Association of America since 2018. And a member of the Sports Journalists’ Association. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
