Anthony Joshua receives ‘huge site offer’ to fight Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury winner

Anthony Joshua has received a ‘huge site offer’ to stage an undisputed world title fight against the winner of the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury rematch.

AJ reclaimed his world titles with an impressive rematch victory over Andy Ruiz Jr at the Diriyah Arena in December.

The venue for the fight drew much criticism but promoter Eddie Hearn wants to return to the Middle East for a mouth-watering fight between Joshua and the winner of Wilder-Fury.

American star Wilder will defend his WBC title against Fury in Las Vegas next month, following the pair’s controversial draw in 2018.

Joshua looks set to fight Kubrat Pulev in either May or June and Matchroom Boxing chief Hearn wants the 30-year-old to face the reigning WBC champion at the end of 2020.

‘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.

‘We’ve been there before. Both guys have turned down 60-40 for that fight and now we have no other option, but to offer them 50-50, because the fight will never happen, subject to the boss giving the thumbs up, which I think he knows that’s the way to make this fight.

‘We have a huge site offer in place for that fight to take place.’

Asked whether the potential clash would take place in Saudi Arabia, Hearn added: ‘A big option. We have a partnership out there in Saudi Arabia.

‘They put the money up for the Andy Ruiz fight. Everything they promised, they delivered. They want this fight bad and when they’ve got that kind of attitude and mentality, it’s going to be difficult to beat.’

Hearn also confirmed Pulev was the ‘front-runner’ to face AJ next and said the fight would likely take place in the UK.

‘Kubrat Pulev is the frontrunner,’ said Hearn. ‘I think we’ve established that the IBF mandatory was called before the WBO mandatory.

‘Pulev is the fight for me, and more importantly for the boss, AJ, he wants it here. He’s boxed now in Saudi Arabia for his last fight, he’s boxed in New York before that.

‘For me, it’s time to come home. The bad news is that Kubrat Pulev wants as much money as possible for this fight and he realises there’s more money in Istanbul, or Saudi Arabia, or the Congo, or Nigeria, but AJ is going to call the shots.

‘He may end up having to let the Pulev fight go, if he won’t fight in the places that we’d like him to fight and that is in the UK.

‘We’re looking at dates at the end of May to the beginning of June for the Pulev fight. Everywhere is in play.

‘Emirates Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur, The Olympic Stadium, we’ve also reached out to Twickenham as well.

‘The Principality Stadium has got some dates for us, so in an ideal world, AJ’s next fight will be Kubrat Pulev in London, but this is a far from an ideal world, particularly in the boxing game.’