Eddie Hearn sets firm deadline for Anthony Joshua to face Tyson Fury in 'biggest fight' in boxing history

Eddie Hearn has insisted Anthony Joshua must fight Tyson Fury by the end of next year if a long-awaited bout between the British rivals is to materialise.

It is set to be a blockbuster conclusion to 2024 in the heavyweight division, with Joshua taking on fellow Briton Daniel Dubois for the IBF world title at Wembley Stadium this weekend.

Fury then goes in search of revenge against Oleksandr Usyk , who beat him in May to become undisputed champion. The pair are set to fight for a second time on December 21 for the WBA, WBO and IBO belts.

Should Joshua beat Dubois on Saturday night and Fury then leave Saudi Arabia with the three remaining heavyweight titles in December, there would be huge demand for an undisputed showdown between the two British heavyweights, one that has been much-talked about for nearly a decade.

While Joshua’s promoter Hearn believes the bout will take place whatever materialises in the ring over the next few months, he wants the stage to be set for the “biggest fight in the history of the 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," Hearn told BBC Sport.

He added: "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.”

Quizzed on whether that fight needs to take place by the end of 2025, Hearn said: "Yes, definitely."

Joshua faced questions over his future in the sport after back-to-back defeats to Usyk, with the aggressive, fearless approach seen in the early fights of his career not as regularly on display.

However, there has been a return to a more front-footed approach under trainer Ben Davison, with Otto Wallin beaten in dominant fashion at the end of last year and Francis Ngannou brutally stopped inside two rounds in March.

He now attempts to become a three-time world champion, as he challenges for the IBF strap held by Dubois since Usyk vacated the belt in June.

"The media attention and frenzy, all the moments before the bell on fight night - you've got to hold your nerve when you walk through that tunnel in front of 96,000 people," Hearn said.

"For AJ this is bread and butter. He's been there before and done it but he's got the hunger and the desire.

"Forget the money in the bank, he badly wants to become world champion again."

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