BoxRec

HEARN SAYS FURY IS 'AFRAID TO LOSE' TO JOSHUA

Eddie Hearn is fully prepared for Tyson Fury to launch a campaign of mental warfare before his upcoming fight with Anthony Joshua.

The boxing world is awaiting an official announcement that the most accomplished, well-known British heavyweights of their generation will meet in a long awaited clash.

Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs) has been his usual talkative self throughout the latest round of negotiations. Besides the occasional social media post, Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) has maintained his customary quiet.

Joshua’s promoter Hearn thinks Fury will play more mind games as the fight draws closer but believes while trying to get under Joshua's skin, he also uses them as a tool to build his own confidence and self-belief.

“I think it's a game plan. I wouldn’t say fighters are ever scared but I think he's fearful of Anthony Joshua," Hearn said during an appearance on Fight Your Corner.

“I think he's afraid to lose but he knows the physical presence of Joshua as well. Fury’s a great fighter, a very smart fighter but I think he knows how tough the fight is.”

In his most recent post, Fury accused Joshua of being scared and promised to finish the fight quickly.

Fury has always maintained that he would have an easy night’s work with Joshua.

Hearn expects his confidence has been boosted at the sight of Joshua being dropped twice in the opening round of his July 25 stoppage win over Kristian Prenga.

Fury may be focusing on Joshua's vulnerabilities in public, though Hearn thinks he will privately be acutely aware of the danger he faces.

“They’ll think hang on, “Oh he got dropped by Prenga. He's not the fighter he was,” but he's still got the physicality and it will be a handful for him,” Hearn said.

“It'll be a real handful and any advantage that he can get, he’s going to try because that's what he's like.”

IT. IS. HAPPENING!

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua finally meet in a highly-anticipated heavyweight showdown on December 11th at Principality Stadium, Cardiff, UK

#FuryJoshua | December 11th | Live on Netflix

So much for Wembley.

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑24 Sep 2026, 08:13 IT. IS. HAPPENING!

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua finally meet in a highly-anticipated heavyweight showdown on December 11th at Principality Stadium, Cardiff, UK

#FuryJoshua | December 11th | Live on Netflix

5 Fury's Vs 5 Joshua's

For 15 years no one has been able to make this fight. Back in April, I said that any announcement would come from me. I can now confirm that Fury Vs Joshua will be coming to the UK, as I promised British boxing fans. The time for talking is over ........

A rare Friday evening super fight. Avoids college football in the U.S. And the ring walks will be closer to 2 am local in Cardiff to accommodate a prime time main event in the U.S. on Netflix

TYSON FURY, ANTHONY JOSHUA SET FOR DEC. 11 SHOWDOWN

The biggest fight in British boxing history has finally been agreed.

Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will meet December 11 at Principality Stadium, in Cardiff, Wales, live on Netflix, it was announced Thursday by owner of The Ring Turki Alalshikh and Netflix.

It seemed like the fight would never happen, but after months of tortuous back-and-forth, both sides have reached an agreement for Britain's two leading heavyweights of their generation to meet.

In a series of social media videos, Fury insisted he did not care where the fight took place, provided he finally got to take on his fellow two-time world heavyweight champion Joshua, who lobbied for the clash to land in the UK.

Now, Cardiff will take center stage for the most significant all-British heavyweight fight on these shores since Lennox Lewis defended his world title against Frank Bruno in 1993, which also took place in the Welsh capital.

Alalshikh said: “Two of the best heavyweights of this generation, finally in the ring together. This will be one of the biggest fights in boxing history, I am very happy to make this fight happen for the fans.”

Dana White, who will co-promote with The Ring, said: “For more than a decade, boxing fans have been clamoring for the heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Together, they bring 66 wins, 52 knockouts and multiple heavyweight world titles into the ring. On December 11, two of the biggest heavyweights of this generation finally collide– and the winner will take a significant place in heavyweight history.”

Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) has boxed twice at the Principality Stadium, formerly Millennium Stadium, during his first reign as world heavyweight champion.

First, he successfully defended his IBF and WBA titles against late stand-in Carlos Takam on October 28, 2017 before further unifying the division by beating Joseph Parker for his WBO belt five months later. Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs), meanwhile, has never boxed in Wales.

Fury, 38, and Joshua, 36, first crossed paths way back in 2010 when they sparred at Finchley Boxing Club in north London, where the latter cut his teeth as an amateur.

On a BBC Radio broadcast later that day, Fury, who was professional at the time, described Joshua as “red hot” and admitted that he had been “given a beating for three rounds.”

Joshua had previously read in magazine Boxing News that Fury was willing to give his Rolex to any sparring partner who could knock him down so he tried his best to claim the watch. Now, 16 years on, they will meet in one of the richest fights in history.

The pair have come close to fighting over the years, most notably in 2021. They looked set to clash in August of that year, with Hearn declaring that all terms had been agreed.

However, those plans went up in smoke when a US judge ruled that Fury had to face Deontay Wilder for a third time due to the terms of their second-fight contract in February 2020.

Fury, The Ring and WBC champion at the time, stopped Wilder when they eventually met for a third time in a Las Vegas barnburner in October 2021, a month after Joshua lost his WBA, WBO and IBF titles to Oleksandr Usyk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

All hope of the duo ever meeting appear to be extinguished early last year when Fury announced his retirement from boxing in the wake of back-to-back defeats to Usyk during 2024.

But, when he returned from that retirement by beating Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham in April, he made it clear that Joshua was his only target for the rest of this year. “AJ," however, requested a warm-up fight before facing Fury, given he had spent some time away from the ring after his involvement in the tragic road accident which killed his two friends and team members Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele in December.

He was granted that fight but it was not pretty as he had to climb off the floor twice in the first round before knocking out Kristian Prenga in the second round of their July 25 clash at Jeddah Superdome, Saudi Arabia.

The night before, Fury had also won his own warm-up fight by stopping Mariusz Wach after seven rounds at Max Muay Thai stadium in Pattaya, Thailand.
Two months on from those fights, the deal has been agreed for them to collide in Wales.

Eddie Hearn has said that he will be talking to Netflix about the broadcaster's attempt to claim Dana White would be promotionally involved in Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury.

"I'll be speaking to Netflix to remind them of their contractual obligations and it'll be dealt with it like we dealt with the other situation [location].

"These people make it very very difficult for themselves. We're supposed to have a presser next week — now, we have stuff to sort out."

Like I said. He’s full off it:

The fact that it’s still primetime USA and not UK, it may as well just be in the States.

Netflix got what they wanted.

Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua will be for the WBA 'super' heavyweight title, The Ring’s @MikeCoppinger has learned.

Murat Gassiev is the current holder of the WBA's 'regular' heavyweight title.

#FuryJoshua | December 11th | Live only on Netflix

I'll believe it when I see them in the ring.

Greedy Belly has always found an excuse to avoid Anthony Joshua. Maybe if he doesn't need to do drug testing while Joshua has to, he'll finally find the courage.

I thought the WBA "super" title is supposed to be for unified champions?

SteveO wrote: ↑13 Sep 2026, 14:23 Chances are it will be in Wales in December. We'll see.

Syntax Error wrote: ↑14 Sep 2026, 13:42

SteveO wrote: ↑13 Sep 2026, 14:23 Chances are it will be in Wales in December. We'll see.

If it's going to be in December in the UK, Cardiff is the only viable option, because of the roof at the Principality Stadium.

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑19 Sep 2026, 08:21
Trust me, it's Cardiff on the 11th.

We can all see, but some can see further and better.

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑24 Sep 2026, 09:56 For 15 years no one has been able to make this fight. Back in April, I said that any announcement would come from me. I can now confirm that Fury Vs Joshua will be coming to the UK, as I promised British boxing fans. The time for talking is over ........

15 years?
Joshua hasn't even been a pro that long

Finkel wrote: ↑24 Sep 2026, 16:50

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑24 Sep 2026, 09:56 For 15 years no one has been able to make this fight. Back in April, I said that any announcement would come from me. I can now confirm that Fury Vs Joshua will be coming to the UK, as I promised British boxing fans. The time for talking is over ........

15 years?
Joshua hasn't even been a pro that long

Also, "to the UK, as 'he' promised", despite him trying to put in anywhere but the UK. He's a twat.

Tbf, without him. Theres no fight

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑Yesterday, 03:03 Tbf, without him. Theres no fight

I disagree. There's a world where the fight could've been made earlier for a lot less money if he didn't overinflate boxing purses and choose for them to face the likes of Ngannou.

joshj909 wrote: ↑Yesterday, 03:59

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑Yesterday, 03:03 Tbf, without him. Theres no fight

I disagree. There's a world where the fight could've been made earlier for a lot less money if he didn't overinflate boxing purses and choose for them to face the likes of Ngannou.

Yeh, could have been. But wasn’t.

Most of their careers, they were with rival networks.

joshj909 wrote: ↑Yesterday, 03:59

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑Yesterday, 03:03 Tbf, without him. Theres no fight

I disagree. There's a world where the fight could've been made earlier for a lot less money if he didn't overinflate boxing purses and choose for them to face the likes of Ngannou.

These are not the worst things he has ever done.

gp. wrote: ↑Yesterday, 06:12

joshj909 wrote: ↑Yesterday, 03:59

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑Yesterday, 03:03 Tbf, without him. Theres no fight

I disagree. There's a world where the fight could've been made earlier for a lot less money if he didn't overinflate boxing purses and choose for them to face the likes of Ngannou.

These are not the worst things he has ever done.

True, and in this instance, giving Turki credit for being the guy to make the fight when he created the world where nobody else could possibly make the fight due to his own financial sacrifice and poor matchmaking isn't exactly that impressive.

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑24 Sep 2026, 11:52 Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua will be for the WBA 'super' heavyweight title, The Ring’s @MikeCoppinger has learned.

Murat Gassiev is the current holder of the WBA's 'regular' heavyweight title.

#FuryJoshua | December 11th | Live only on Netflix

Disgusting.
Same with the time.

I'm gonna watch the Highlights the day after.

As I stated on the other fight thread 'Anthony Joshua stylistically is Tyson Fury's most difficult fight. Fury and his team close to him have always known this, that is why he has actively avoided this fight throughout entire his career'.

Anthony Joshua is what I like to call 'a double jeopardy threat. And he is the only double jeopardy threat in the heavyweight divisions. He is the only heavyweight fighter, with proven elite level power and boxing skill. No other heavyweight fighter has those two attributes at such a high level, Joshua is the only one'.

That is why when Joshua executes his best fights 'he does not just win. He destroys the opposition'.

Note: Tyson Fury without the WBA title on the line ''really did not have much to gain in fighting Joshua, accept business and of course in my opinion getting knocked out'.

But now that this fight is a battle for the WBA title 'this does make the fight more significant and much bigger'.

I must admit, Eddie Hearn and Matchroom, have done great 'forcing this fight to be made in the UK. And in the most ideal venue'.

Anthony Joshua will be the first fighter to legitimately knockout Tyson Fury 'and in doing so become a 3 times World Heavyweight Champion' etc.

Have you seen him lately? The Boxing skill seems pretty goddamn faded nowadays

Perkin Warbeck wrote: ↑24 Sep 2026, 12:12 I thought the WBA "super" title is supposed to be for unified champions?

So did I and didn't the WBA proclaim Gassiev as their super champion in July?
Maybe they demoted him again.

SteveO wrote: ↑Yesterday, 13:53

Perkin Warbeck wrote: ↑24 Sep 2026, 12:12 I thought the WBA "super" title is supposed to be for unified champions?

So did I and didn't the WBA proclaim Gassiev as their super champion in July?
Maybe they demoted him again.

I thought that too. Elevate to sole champion

SteveO wrote: ↑Yesterday, 13:53

Perkin Warbeck wrote: ↑24 Sep 2026, 12:12 I thought the WBA "super" title is supposed to be for unified champions?

So did I and didn't the WBA proclaim Gassiev as their super champion in July?
Maybe they demoted him again.

If so that would be a first to my knowledge.