Joshua Signs Deal to Fight Tyson Fury — Hearn Confirms
What happened
Promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed that Anthony Joshua has signed a deal to fight Tyson Fury, ending years of stalled negotiations and false starts. The bout — long described as the most lucrative all-British heavyweight fight ever — finally has signed contracts on the AJ side.
What we know
- Date and venue: to be announced. Hearn indicated a major UK or Saudi venue is in active negotiation.
- Belts on the line: the fight is being structured as a heavyweight unification, though specific sanctioning-body line-ups depend on each fighter's mandatory obligations between now and fight night.
- Purse split: Hearn has not disclosed terms; previous public reporting suggested a 50–50 split was the sticking point.
Why this fight has taken so long
- Mandatory defences for both fighters kept slipping into the calendar.
- Promoter dynamics — DAZN/Matchroom (Joshua's side) and Top Rank/Queensberry (Fury's side) have historically disagreed on broadcast architecture.
- Saudi influence. Saudi backing has reshaped the heavyweight calendar, simplifying purse arithmetic for the biggest fights.
What's still outstanding
Fury's signature is the next domino. Hearn's confirmation says Joshua is in; Fury's camp will need to confirm before the fight is fully made.
What to watch
- A formal date-and-venue announcement.
- Pay-per-view distribution — whether it lands on DAZN, ESPN+, or both.
- The undercard, which on a fight of this size will move significant sub-fights of its own.
Sources
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