23 March 2023 , 09:45
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Eddie Hearn has proposed a four-man heavyweight tournament which would see Tyson Fury fight Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder take on Oleksandr Usyk.
The promoter's idea comes after an undisputed clash between heavyweight champions Fury and Usyk collapsed earlier this week. The rivals Fury were set to meet each other on April 29 after months of negotiations, with Fury demanding a 70/30 purse split in his favour before also suggesting neither fighter was granted a rematch clause.
Matchroom Boxing boss Hearn is now keen on making Fury vs Joshua, also suggesting former WBC titleholder Wilder should face unified champion Usyk. The promoter would then look to see the winners of the two fights face each other, as he tweeted: "If Fury vs Usyk doesn’t get made...and AJ gets past [Jermaine] Franklin...Fury vs AJ, Wilder vs Usyk - winner vs winner for undisputed."
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Joshua is back in action next weekend as he looks to pick up his first win in over two years when he takes on Franklin at The O2 arena. The Brit lost his heavyweight titles to Usyk in September 2021 and failed to win them back in their rematch last August, with his last win coming against Kubrat Pulev in December 2020.
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'AJ' has been heavily linked to a fight against Fury throughout his boxing career and the domestic rivals were booked to fight in an undisputed clash of their own in August 2021, but an arbitration case saw Fury fight Wilder for the third time. Despite Hearn's recent proposal, Joshua admitted he isn't confident that he will ever fight Fury before both men hang up their gloves.
Eddie Hearn proposed the four-man heavyweight tournament (PA)“I will be real, as much as I like to entertain that gossip and Fury situation," he said. "I have been there twice and people don’t remember that. I was supposed to fight him before I fought Usyk, the first time, and he pulled out due to his legal case, the arbitration, with Wilder. That was all up in the air and done online. Then we had the one for this December."
Usyk has already secured a new opponent after the collapse of his fight with Fury as the Ukrainian will almost certainly defend his heavyweight belts against mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois. Wilder was expected to face Andy Ruiz Jr in a fight that would produce the mandatory challenger for Fury's WBC belt, but the fight was put in jeopardy last month after 'The Bronze Bomber' revealed he cut ties with Premier Boxing Champions.