Joshua suffered only the second loss of his career at the hands of the Ukrainian at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and was sporting a visible swollen eye by the tenth round of the contest.
Browsing: Eddie Hearn
Joshua, who defends his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles against Oleksandr Usyk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, has been promoted by Hearn since turning professional eight years ago.
The pair will square off on September 25 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for Joshua’s unified heavyweight title.
The IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion is due to face Oleksandr Usyk in north London next month and victory would open the door for a fiercely-anticipated showdown with Fury.
Joshua’s fight against the dangerous Ukranian has not been officially announced but a deal is expected shortly, with Hearn still in dialogue with Usyk’s team K2 Promotions, but he revealed that “all the terms are agreed” with just a few small details to be thrashed out
That’s the view of his promoter Eddie Hearn, who is a little more optimistic that the two sides will eventually come to an agreement.
Joshua was set to take on the Gypsy King in Saudi Arabia in August but the Gypsy King must now face Deontay Wilder after an arbitration hearing ruled he had a right to a third fight.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn said on Tuesday that the fight, which had been considered across three continents, would take place in Saudi Arabia on either August 7 or August 14.
Options had been considered across three continents, but Hearn has now verified the open secret that the mega-rich desert state has landed the bout, with a date of either August 7 or 14.
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, said on Thursday he was “100 per cent confident” it would happen amid concerns over delays in finalising the Saudi Arabia super fight.
IBF, WBA and WBO champion Joshua and WBC titleholder Fury are now “on the verge” of a one-fight deal to decide the undisputed heavyweight championship in “the biggest fight in British boxing history,” Hearn said.
It is known that the pair have signed contracts to meet, but a site deal still must be completed to determine the date/venue before the fight is finalised.
World heavyweight champions Joshua and Fury signed contracts on a two-fight deal earlier this month, leaving dates and venues needing to be finalised.
Okolie, who is guided by Joshua’s 258 Management, can claim the vacant WBO cruiserweight championship with victory over Krzysztof Glowacki on Saturday night.
With terms of the deal set on Saturday, Hearn’s company, Matchroom, and Fury’s promoter, Top Rank, have 30 days to find a site and a date for the first fight in June or July.
Negotiations for one of “the biggest fights of all time”, Joshua and Fury’s undisputed heavyweight title clash, are ongoing with both sides optimistic of a resolution.
The two titanic Brits are hoping to battle it out in the ring this year and unify the heavyweight division.
A unification fight has been on the cards for a while, with Joshua holding the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belts, while Fury is the WBC champion.
Joshua’s promoter believes the contract for a two-fight deal between the two world champions is all-but signed.
The first fight in their two-fight deal is likely to be around late May/early June, once this has been finalised, both camps will begin to look for potential venues across the globe.