Anthony Joshua must sign his contract to face Tyson Fury by next week to ensure the fight takes place.
Fury and Joshua have been rivals for several years but a meeting has yet to materialise after an undisputed fight collapsed last year. However an all-British showdown is edging closer after Fury offered Joshua the chance to challenge for the WBC heavyweight title following his second consecutive defeat by Oleksandr Usyk.
'AJ ' accepted the offer and has now received the contract from his rival's team, which promoter Eddie Hearn is negotiating before it is signed off to seal the deal. But Fury's promoter George Warren has revealed it is just minor details to be refined including tickets, hotel rooms and the broadcast situation.
“We need to be getting contracts signed next week," he told reporters at yesterday's press conference for Joe Joyce's heavyweight meeting with Joseph Parker. “I don’t think that’s difficult. If everyone wants to make it, it can be done and I believe the other side wants to make it. My dad Frank and Eddie Hearn have gone on record to say 90-95 per cent of it’s been agreed.
“There are parts of contracts need to be refined and negotiated — tickets and hotel rooms — the biggest thing is the broadcast but it should not slow down the contract. BT have been an amazing partner and sensible heads will prevail to make the fight."
Joshua recently signed a new exclusive long-term deal with DAZN so it is likely the streaming service and BT Sport will agree to a dual pay-per-view. Last year, the fight was agreed and signed but was unable to take place after Fury was instead forced to take a trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder.
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Fury will go into the contest as the overwhelming favourite, given the fact he remains undefeated in comparison to his opponent who lost for a second time to Usyk. Joshua has accepted his foe's terms including the 60/40 purse split, with a rematch clause available for the champion.
And Hearn is positive about the fight taking place, but admitted that the final document wasn't as expected. "We received the contract a couple of days ago," Hearn told DAZN Boxing. "It wasn't as we expected but we've gone back and now it's getting to be as we expected. It's very positive, we're not saying anything negative, they're not saying anything negative - I've never spoke to Frank Warren so I'm not sure that would have worked well.
"But now I have met with George Warren and we did get on, touch wood, very well. I think we're kind of putting that to the side and saying 'look, we've got a chance here to do something special. We're up against it time-wise but we'd like to get it done."
