Anthony Joshua has talked up a return to Saudi Arabia after promoter Eddie Hearn revealed the nation had made a ‘huge offer’ to stage an undisputed world title fight against the winner of the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury rematch.
Matchroom Boxing chief Hearn confirmed on Thursday that a stunning offer stands on the table for a fight between Joshua and either Wilder or Fury, who fight next month in Las Vegas.
‘We have to try and make that happen,’ Hearn told Sky Sports. ‘Right now, the fight that Anthony Joshua wants is the winner of Wilder and Fury.’
Hearn added: ‘We have a huge site offer in place for that fight to take place.’
Asked about Hearn’s comments, Joshua – who reclaimed his heavyweight titles off Andy Ruiz Jr in December – told iFL TV: ‘Eddie is doing a great job. He’s applying pressure, I respect that.
‘He’s applying pressure to the heavyweights. If he’s making offers from Saudi Arabia, London, America, Turkey… he should continue doing that!
‘He needs to keep applying pressure to the heavyweights.’
Pressed on whether a fight with either Wilder and Fury should land in Saudi, Joshua responded: ‘I can’t really talk on that.
‘I can’t talk on the figures because I haven’t seen anything. But they [Saudi] are opening up the country with tourism and events.
‘Last time they put on a really, really good boxing show, it was phenomenal. And I’m sure they have the capability of doing it again.
‘They invested a lot of time and effort in making that show and it was one for the history books.’
Hearn also suggested a 50/50 deal for Joshua’s potential clashes against fellow Briton Fury and American star Wilder.
But Joshua remains unconvinced that his rivals deserve such a generous split and said: ‘I don’t understand why it should be 50/50 at the minute.
‘I can say I make the biggest comeback of last year and I’d like 70 per cent, but in reality I know that’s not the case. It has to make sense to me [the split].’
Wilder and Fury will step back into the ring in Vegas on February 22, following their controversial draw in 2018.
Joshua lost his belts in a shock defeat to Ruiz in June but bounced back in fine style with victory over the Mexican in Diriyah last month.
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