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Eddie Hearn, promoter for IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is not convinced that everyone involved with WBC champion Tyson Fury was in favor of finalizing their unification clash.
Fury and Joshua appeared to be a few steps away from finalizing a full division unification for August 14 in Saudi Arabia.
But then the unexpected happened last Monday, when an arbitrator ordered Fury to honor an immediate rematch clause to Deontay Wilder.
Fury and Wilder have now signed to fight each other for a third time, with a working date of July 24 in Las Vegas.
When news of the arbitration decision first broke, Joshua took to social media and labeled Fury “a fraud” – which immediately led to a war of words between the two.
“There was a lot of anger from everybody last week. Me, AJ…. just that these people, I can’t believe these people. [Joshua] felt all along that they didn’t want the fight. I felt differently. I didn’t feel it about their team – but I felt that Fury wanted the fight. Maybe he didn’t. Certain people didn’t want this fight and they’ve got their way for now,” Hearn told IFL TV.
A few days ago, the WBO ordered Joshua to make a mandatory defense against Oleksandr Usyk.
While that appears to be the likely direction for the British star, there are still other options out there, says Hearn.
“Andy Ruiz, he Instagrammed me. That’s a fight that I think we’d be interested in. If you’re going to America, Luis Ortiz is another guy you could fight. If you’re doing the U.K., Dillian Whyte, is that the fight to make?,” Hearn said.
“In an ideal world, if there’s good business to be made with Oleksandr Usyk then that’s the fight next. I wouldn’t rule out any scenario at the moment for Anthony Joshua.”