Joshua and Fury ink blockbuster 2-fight deal

LONDON • Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have signed a two-fight deal to unify the International Boxing Federation (IBF), World Boxing Organisation (WBO), World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight titles, ESPN reported on Monday, citing promoter Eddie Hearn.

Joshua, 31, beat Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev to retain his IBF, WBO and WBA titles and set up the prospect of a mouth-watering clash with fellow Briton Fury, the WBC belt holder.

"We'd like to get a site deal confirmed in the next month," Hearn, managing director of Matchroom Sport, was quoted as saying, adding offers had come in from "eight or nine" sites.

"The hard part is always getting everybody to put pen to paper. But this was a major effort from all parties to get this over the line. You had rival promoters, rival networks and rival fighters."

According to Sky Sports, venues considered include Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, China, Dubai, America and Britain.

Fury, 32, has not fought for over a year since his knockout win against American Deontay Wilder, but said last month he would fight twice this year. "(Promoter) Top Rank has to give me two fights this year. I will fight two times on ESPN," he said.

ESPN reported that the first contest is set for June or July followed by the rematch in November or December. The contract would have the fighters getting a 50-50 split in the first bout and a 60-40 split in the rematch in favour of the winner.

Not since Lennox Lewis in 2002 has there been a unified heavyweight champion, but the stage is now set for the biggest British boxing fight since the "Battle of Britain" between Lewis and Frank Bruno in 1993.

REUTERS