Only defeat or injury can stop Joshua-Fury clash — Hearn

Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn remains confident that the long-awaited heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will happen, dismissing concerns raised by Fury. Hearn asserted that only a defeat or an injury in their respective upcoming fights could derail the November clash.

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The only thing that's going to stop the fight from happening in November is if one of these guys gets beat this weekend or picks up an injury.

Both British rivals are set to compete this week in what are considered crucial warm-up bouts. Tyson Fury is scheduled to fight Poland's Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand, while Anthony Joshua will face Albania's Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The outcomes of these fights are seen as pivotal for the potential 'Battle of Britain'.

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Look at history. Check the facts, check the resume. If you really want to pick one fighter who’s more reliable than the other, I don’t think it’s a close-run race.

Hearn criticized Fury's recent comments about being open to facing other opponents, pointing to Joshua's reliable fight history. "What fight has AJ ever pulled out of?" Hearn questioned, highlighting that Joshua has consistently faced top contenders and previously agreed to fight Fury, who he claims withdrew due to an arbitration ruling.

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What fight has AJ ever pulled out of?…Don’t forget, AJ has not only fought every contender he could have, he also previously signed to fight Tyson Fury, who pulled out of the fight because of an arbitration ruling involving Deontay Wilder.

Joshua himself acknowledged the emotional toll of recent events, including a car crash in Nigeria in December that resulted in the deaths of two close friends. He described the ongoing grief as difficult but stated he is keeping his mind occupied. This fight will be Joshua's first since his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024.

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It’s tough, every time I think about it, it hurts. Even talking about it now… pictures… it hurts but I keep my mind occupied you know. If I stop, you let it sink in and I’m not ready for it to sink in yet.