Two-time former unified world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua is in line for a super-fight in Saudi Arabia in December against either Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder.
Promoter Eddie Hearn revealed he is set to fly out to the Middle East next week to discuss plans to prise AJ over to the desert again and he hopes it will promise a showdown with Fury or Wilder.
Hearn told iFL TV: “For AJ, one thing’s for sure his big fight – and it will come in the Middle East – will be in December.
“And that will be Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder. That’s what we’re planning.
“I will be going out next week to meet people to discuss AJ’s fight in December.”
Joshua, 33, returned at the start of April with a points win over Jermaine Franklin, 29, his first victory since December 2020.
And Hearn hoped it would be the first of a hat-trick of 2023 fights for AJ, to keep him busy.
But just days later, Joshua announced his next bout was not scheduled until December.
Rumours of a stunning four-man heavyweight tournament in Arabia then circulated involving the division’s top stars.
Wilder would face Joshua, with Fury fighting Oleksandr Usyk and the winners then meeting in a finale.
Hearn has confirmed those plans are being explored but no official talks have emerged.
It leaves AJ still in with the possibility of returning in another fight around July time, but it is dependent on how talks in Saudi go.
He said: “Our focus is to get that mega fight in December over the line. There is no official decision in terms of whether AJ would fight in July.
“Some of that might come around the deal or the decision or the completion of that fight in December.
“I would quite like to see him fight, I think he would like to fight in July, but right now he’s not in camp for a July fight.
“We’re focusing on getting the December fight over the line, which is a fight of huge proportion.
“And then we’ll make a decision on the July fight in the coming weeks.”
Hearn predicts the remarkable four-way tournament could cost over $400MILLION (£325m) and would take place on the same night.
He said: “There is definitely been conversations that have taken place, just of plans, where people would like to host Fury against Usyk and AJ against Wilder on the same night.
“It will cost a lot of money, but it would be epic, and we will have those conversations.”
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
