Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury: Eddie Hearn replies to Bob Arum claim that fight is ‘dead’

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Eddie Hearn has rubbished claims made by Bob Arum that the heavyweight unification fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury is off. Fury’s promoter Arum had said that a deal for the fight had been thrown out and that the WBC champion would no longer be waiting for it to be concluded.

The 32-year-old Fury had previously announced that he would be facing Joshua in a two-fight deal, with the first expected to be held in Saudi Arabia this July.

A second fight would then be held in Britain later this year, the winner of the first scrap taking home the bigger purse from the rematch.

However, arranging the bout has become difficult during the coronavirus pandemic amid various worldwide restrictions.

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Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, has hit back at Arum’s claim, saying he expects an agreement to be completed within the next few days.

He accused the 89-year-old Arum of letting his ego get in the way of a deal following his claim the fight was “dead in the water”.

“Fury’s in, he wants the fight. Fury’s lawyer is well aware that this deal is done,” Hearn claimed today.

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“Don’t get me wrong, if we were having this conversation in another week, I’d be very concerned, but I’m not because we’ve been here before.

“We have the commitment. For me it’s 100 per cent a done deal.

“A lot of it is him trying to put the pressure on because he is under pressure to deliver a fight for Fury and the other thing is a bit of ego.

“He tried to do that deal with the Middle East for Manny Pacquiao and Terence Crawford that fell through and maybe he doesn’t want me to have the glory. I have no idea.

“We have had conversations with Tyson Fury’s lawyers and they are onside. I’m confident with where we are.

“I’m expecting the final version [of the site agreement] and that is what the issue is. We have written confirmation of the deal, it’s all approved, verbally and in writing.

“But we have to put together a long-form agreement and it’s a huge deal and quite complex. That’s taken four or five days longer than I thought.

“At the moment, I’m not panicking, but of course if it goes another week not completed that’s another story. But I don’t see that.”

Watford-born Joshua, 31, last fought in December.

The two-time heavyweight champion stopped Kubrat Pulev to successfully defend his WBA, IBF and WBO titles. Afterwards, he urged for “less talk, more action” from Fury’s camp, in a bid to get a fight sorted.

But that prompted an angry response from Fury, who took to social media to claim: “He got asked if he wanted the fight and he went around the bushes and put his arse in the hedge.

“I want the fight. I will knock him out inside three rounds. He’s a big bum dosser.”

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