Eddie Hearn says Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury could make over £100million each if they are to a Battle of Britain clash next year.
Fury and Joshua had been locked in talks over a Battle of Britain bout last year but discussions broke down after the Gypsy King grew impatient.
Fury decided to move on and secure a bout with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, while AJ fought against Robert Helenius.
However, Hearn is adamant a fight between the pair will happen after Fury fights Oleksandr Usyk and AJ takes on Deontay Wilder.
If Fury and AJ win those bouts, Hearn says they will be in line to make over £100m for a Battle of Britain bout next year.
Eddie Hearn says AJ and Tyson Fury could make over £100million each if they fight each other
Fury is returning to the ring next weekend to face Francis Ngannou, while Joshua is hoping to get back out in December after beating Robert Helenius
Hearn told The Overlap’s Stick To Football podcast with Sky Bet: ‘They will make over £100m each. If Fury beats Usyk and AJ beats Wilder, they’ll make over £100m each. That’s when it starts to becomes easy because, well, come on lads.’
When asked whether he thinks the bout between AJ and Fury will actually get over the line, Hearn said: ‘I think they fight and I think it will be biggest fight of all-time. But, you just never know with Fury. Fury could hang him up.
‘I don’t think Fury is over the moon to fight Usyk. He just knows it’s a really tough fight. I think Fury wins and I think Fury thinks he wins but he knows how good Usyk is.
‘But, they came up with the money and if they come up with the money he will fight. He thinks he can take AJ too. But, he might take the money from the Usyk fight and go missing.’
Fury and Joshua had been locked in talks over a Battle of Britain bout last year but discussions broke down after the Gypsy King grew impatient waiting for AJ to sign the contract.
Negotiations over the highly-anticipated bout had been ongoing for months before both parties declared the fight – which was scheduled to take place on December 3, 2022 – was officially off the cards.
The Gypsy King said he was furious at AJ for ‘wasting his time’ and stated he would never fight the 32-year-old in the future as a result. However, Fury made a shock U-turn just a couple of months later and returned to the negotiating table.
He took to social media to tell his fans that Queensbury had sent AJ a draft contract. His caption read: ‘A few days ago I sent a draft contract to Anthony Joshua for a fight in September.
Fury and Joshua had been locked in talks over a Battle of Britain bout last year but discussions broke down after the Gypsy King grew impatient waiting for AJ to sign the contract
However, Hearn is adamant a fight between the pair will happen after Fury fights Oleksandr Usyk (pictured above) and AJ takes on Deontay Wilder
‘It’s a fight that everyone wants to see including myself. Come of AJ lets give the world what they want to see. This time I’m not gonna make a million vids and keep putting pressure on. The ball is now on your side.’
But, little came from the social media post and Joshua decided to pursue a rematch with Dillian Whyte instead. AJ managed to secure a bout with the Body Snatcher but was forced to face Robert Helenius instead after Whyte failed a drugs test.
AJ knocked the stand-in rival out with devastating right hand, sending the Finnish heavyweight boxer crashing to the canvas in the seventh round. But, that wasn’t enough to convince Fury to return to the negotiating table.
Instead, the Gypsy King has secured with a crossover fight with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou before announcing he would take on Usyk after.
Fury also told Mail Sport he had no interest in fighting AJ. He said: ‘I don’t really care what he says. He’s a bum in my opinion. He’s just one big bum-dosser that has been knocked out three times.
‘He’s been knocked out twice and had three losses. He can’t even compare in my league anymore. It’s not even a fight I am thinking about anymore. I’m not even interested.
‘That bubble has been burst. His virginity has been taken away so it’s not interesting for me anymore. He’s been spanked by Usyk twice and been beaten by a fat man. So it’s not in my interest to beat him.
‘I am fighting a guy who is in his prime, who is a champion, who is bigger than him, who is stronger than him and who is a bigger knockout puncher than him. He needs to get to the back of the queue. That fight is gone, it’s dead. That fight was off the cards as soon as he got beaten.’
Hearn thinks AJ (right) can beat Fury, despite the fact the Gypsy King is more ‘durable’
However, Hearn is convinced Fury will take the bout with AJ because of the money on the table. He told The Overlap’s Stick To Football podcast with Sky Bet about lucrative it is to fight in Saudi Arabia.
The Matchroom promoter said: ‘This is the issue with the money coming in for sport. Not just boxing but football too. You’re definitely making double by staging it over there.
‘We were the first ones to do a fight out there with Ruiz. I got loads of stick for it but I represent the fighter. When I go to the fighter and say it’s £20m for Wembley or £60m for Saudi. What do you think they are going to say?
‘I don’t really have a say in the matter and by the way, I am choosing Saudi too. This is the fight game. They are prize fighters. They aren’t going out to play 18 holes of golf.’