Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder pushed back to 2024 as Eddie Hearn casts doubts over epic double bill card that would see Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk on the same night

Eddie Hearn admits that Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder is more likely to take place in January than December – and isn’t expecting Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk to be on the same card.

Saudi promotional outfit Skills Challenge Entertainment had initially floated around the idea of a blockbuster show at the back end of the year involving the glamour division’s big four.

But that now seems unlikely with Fury set to face former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

A fight between Usyk and Fury would need a suitable promotional campaign and, of course, a period of re-negotiation.

So, staging the bout in either December or January doesn’t seem feasible.

Eddie Hearn believes Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder is more likely to take place in January

Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk isn’t expected to be booked on the same bill as Joshua vs Wilder

Hearn acknowledges that the turnaround may be too tight to squeeze the undisputed contest on the same card but also isn’t convinced Fury wants the fight full stop.

 ‘I think it will be January [Joshua vs Wilder], I’m not sure whether Fury vs Usyk gets made [on the same card],’ he told Boxing Social. ‘I don’t expect the Ngannou fight will be so taxing that he can’t fight in January.

‘But at the same time he would have done a training camp and also you don’t know if he wants the fight, which lots of people suggest he doesn’t.’ 

As for Joshua vs Wilder, that fight isn’t straight forward either. The Watford powerhouse rematches Dillian Whyte on August 12 at the O2 Arena, London – and the Saudis have already stated that if AJ loses then a date with Wilder is off the table.

With no rematch clause signed into the contract, Whyte could end up jumping Joshua in the queue and finally secure himself a fight with the American after spending almost three years as his WBC mandatory.

‘Definitely, the finalisation of the Wilder fight is on hold until they [The Saudis] see what happen on August 12 and that’s the risk that we’re in,’ Hearn added.

‘It’s a big risk [facing Whyte], is it the right risk? We’ll find out, AJ wanted a real fight, he wasn’t motivated to take a lesser, smaller fight, but the Wilder fight will be dependent on victory at the O2 Arena on August 12.’

Wilder vs Joshua was initially proposed to take place at the back end of 2023 (December)