Hearn Shuts Down Joshua-Fury Deal Talk — "Completely Untrue"

• Eddie Hearn has categorically denied claims that Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury is signed — calling reports of a done deal "completely untrue" and confirming there is no contract, venue, or date in place
• The denial comes in direct response to talkSPORT's Gareth A. Davies, who reported the fight was "signed in the background" for Netflix — Hearn's frustration with the misinformation was clear
• Joshua's personal tragedy following the car crash in Nigeria that killed two of his team members has changed the entire timeline, and Hearn confirms meaningful talks about the Fury fight have only just resumed in "the last few days"

The Reports That Sparked the Denial

Right then. You may have seen the reports doing the rounds — Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury is done, it's going to Netflix, it's happening. It looked like the fight boxing fans have been waiting years for was finally locked in. Except it isn't. Not even close. Eddie Hearn, Joshua's promoter at Matchroom Boxing, has gone on record to call the claims "completely untrue." No contract. No venue. No date. The reports, which were led by talkSPORT's Gareth A. Davies — who claimed the fight was "signed in the background" — have forced Hearn to go on a full-scale media tour just to correct the record. That's a frustrating position for a promoter to be in, and you could hear the irritation in Hearn's voice. Let's not beat around the bush: this sort of reckless reporting does nobody any favours. When a journalist with a platform puts out "it's signed" and it turns out nothing of the sort is true, it hypes up fans, creates false expectations, and muddies the actual negotiating waters. Boxing has enough problems without adding misinformation into the mix.

The Joshua Situation — Context Matters

Make no mistake, what happened in Nigeria changes everything about how you understand this story. Anthony Joshua's car crash in Nigeria, which tragically killed two members of his team, was a devastating event that understandably altered his schedule, his mindset, and his immediate future. Since that moment, Hearn has been clear: serious discussions about the Fury fight essentially went on pause. "Since then, there have been no conversations really about that fight," Hearn said, before adding that contact with Fury's team through Dr. Rakan and Sela — the Saudi backers behind multiple major boxing events — has only just resumed. "Starting to think about revisiting the plan" is how he framed it. That's not the language of a signed deal. That's the language of preliminary exploratory talks. Hearn has also indicated that Joshua may need to take a fight before a Fury showdown makes sense. The 2026 schedule is already stacked, and Joshua hasn't fought since his heavyweight comeback. Building rhythm, building confidence, building a narrative — you do that by fighting, not by waiting for the mega-fight to materialise.

Where Does This Leave the Fury Fight?

Look, Joshua versus Fury still happens. I genuinely believe that. The commercial appetite for it is enormous, the public want it, and both men's teams know what's at stake financially. When the time is right, this fight gets made. The question is when. If Joshua fights later this spring or summer — a tune-up against a credible opponent — then a Fury showdown in the autumn or winter becomes realistic. Fury has Makhmudov in one week at Tottenham, and if he wins that convincingly, the clamour for the Joshua fight intensifies. Fury wants it. Joshua wants it. The money's there. The platform — whether that's Netflix or somewhere else — is there. But right now, in April 2026, it is not signed and it is not close to signed. And with Fury fighting in seven days, and Joshua's timeline uncertain, the honest answer is this goes into the second half of the year at the earliest.

My Take: Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

I know fight fans are frustrated. I know Joshua-Fury has been dangled in front of us for years and never materialised. The Usyk fights came along, changed the picture, and now here we are still waiting for the Joshua-Fury matchup that should have happened three or four years ago. But levels exist in boxing, and this fight at the right moment — with both men in form, with a proper build-up — is still a proper fight that could do serious numbers. Patience is required. Let Fury deal with Makhmudov. Let Joshua sort his return. And then let the two teams get into a room and make it happen. Hearn's denial today is frustrating in the short term. But at least we know where we actually stand.