Tyson Fury may be the betting favourite for his planned superfight against Anthony Joshua this summer, but AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn says the bookmakers have got it wrong.
Fury is anything from as short as 4/9 to as big as 4/7 for the huge showdown, with Joshua a generally 11/8 but 7/4 in a place.
Hearn though disputes those odds as the rhetoric ramps up ahead of the huge showdown – which is expected to go ahead in late May or early June.
Joshua the favourite – Hearn
He told Sky Sports: “I don’t think anyone can be 100 per cent confident about anyone winning a fight like this. They could fight 10 times and wouldn’t get 10 same results.
“I believe Joshua is the favourite in this fight. I know that, with the bookies, Fury is. But I see the improvements that Anthony makes and the desire that he has got.”
Hearn admits he wrote Fury off before – when ‘The Gypsy King’ entered the lion’s den to dethrone long-time heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko in Germany in 2015. And then again against Deontay Wilder. Those masterclasses stunned the boxing world, and Hearn. But the Matchroom supremo believes this time things will be different.
Twice bitten
“I’ve written Fury off before – against Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder. He proved me wrong.
“But I don’t believe he will prove me wrong this time. I believe our guy wins. But talk is cheap. We’ve got to roll the dice and find out.”
The final details are currently being agreed contractually for Fury and Joshua to finally get it on this summer. It appears inevitable the bout will now take place outside the UK due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic domestically.
In terms of the broadcast details, it is expected Sky Sports Box Office and BT Sport Box Office will both show the pay-per-view (price tbc) in the UK. It is possible ESPN and DAZN will have a similar arrangement in the United States.
Fury and Joshua are expect to earn around $100million EACH for the first fight alone.
