Eddie Hearn, promoter for heavyweight contender Anthony Joshua, indicates that his fighter could very well return on the same card as the proposed grudge match between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr.
Everything depends on the finalized date for the undisputed showdown between heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
No date has been confirmed for Fury-Usyk, but December 23 in Saudi Arabia has been mentioned.
However, Hearn is looking to stage Benn vs.s Eubank on the same date.
There are ongoing talks for Joshua to face fellow former champion Deontay Wilder – which is now targeted for early 2024.
Hearn explains that Joshua may potentially look to stay busy in a co-featured slot to the Benn-Eubank card.
“December 2nd is a fantastic card that we’re announcing on Saturday night for Britain and 23rd is our date for Benn-Eubank. And I truly believe that fight will get made for that date,” Hearn said to The Sun.
“Look if we get the Eubank fight made, we will go December 23rd. Because we will have to announce that in the next two weeks. I don’t know whether [Fury-Usyk is] going to go December 23rd, maybe there’s some conversations with them before we announce our fight.
“But that’s our date and whilst the other fight is not announced there’s a good chance we’ll go straight up and announce. But we’ll have to see. Obviously, we don’t want to go on the same night, it doesn’t make sense for either fight. But we’ll see.”
Hearn still feels confident Joshua vs. Wilder will happen – despite failed negotiations, with Saudi investors, to stage the fight in December.
There are currently ongoing talks to make the fight in other locations.
“That fight, in my opinion, will 100 percent happen in the first half of next year, maybe even in the first quarter. I can’t tell you any more than I’m talking to Shelly Finkel and we’ve made it crystal clear, as they have to us, we want this fight,” Hearn said.
“We’re talking about Vegas, we’re talking about Wembley and we appreciate the money might not be completely the same as what we’ve been offered by Saudi Arabia… And money’s always important but I think both guys actually genuinely want the fight and when you get fights like Fury-Usyk made it does give everybody a little nudge to say, ‘Let’s make ours now.’ And there’s a definite feeling from their team and ours to get that fight over the line.”