Eddie Hearn, the promoter for Anthony Joshua, has hinted at a potential blockbuster fight between his client and Tyson Fury later this year. Despite Fury’s recent defeat by Oleksandr Usyk, which thwarted the Brit’s bid to become the undisputed heavyweight champion, there’s talk of a rematch scheduled for October.

However, Fury has expressed a desire for a break from boxing, which could open the door for an epic British clash with Joshua or a third fight with Usyk.

Discussing the possibilities on Matchroom’s YouTube channel, Hearn said: “I don’t think Tyson Fury is gonna be over the moon with five or six weeks off, but that’s the obligation, there’s a lot of money. Who knows? If Usyk’s injured, can’t make the date, do you make Fury against Joshua – with the winner fighting Usyk? I mean the answer for me is, ‘Yes, please.'”

“But it’s down to His Excellency [Turki Al-Sheikh] and the fighters to make the decisions. They have a contracted rematch, but they have to be physically able to make that date, and I guess that’s the next obstacle to overcome.”

Joshua’s last victory was in March over Francis Ngannou, but losses to Andy Ruiz Jr and Usyk (twice) since 2019 have delayed his quest to reclaim his titles. There has been ongoing speculation about a potential showdown between Joshua and Fury, but so far, it hasn’t come to fruition, with both sides blaming each other for the delay.

The two fighters have publicly sparred on social media, with Fury challenging Joshua and his team to finalize the deal. Hearn later spoke to talkSPORT, stating that Fury’s expectations were unrealistic, but he assured that Joshua would never shy away from a fight.

He said: “I mean the fact is, huge fights like this don’t get made in two weeks. That’s the reality, when two guys have huge commercial deals with different broadcasters, it takes time. And we worked away with George Warren and it was actually going very, very well. Tyson Fury put us on the clock – on a 48-hour clock where the contract was nowhere near ready.”

This year, Fury’s focus seems to be on avenging his loss to Usyk, with the Gypsy King asserting that he was the rightful winner of their bout in Saudi Arabia. “I believe I won that fight,” he said. “I believe he won a few of the rounds, but I won the majority of them, and I believe it was one of those what-can-you-do, one of them… decisions in boxing.”

The anticipation for a Fury-Joshua clash remains high, with fans eager to see two of Britain’s best heavyweights finally face off in the ring.