Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has warned that the long-awaited heavyweight showdown between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will be called off if either fighter loses their next bout, describing the stakes around both men’s upcoming tune-up fights as enormous, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Joshua is scheduled to return on July 25 in Saudi Arabia against Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga, while Fury is also expected to take a warm-up fight this summer ahead of their all-British clash later in 2026.
Both have signed contracts to fight each other, but Hearn told Sky Sports that a defeat for either man would end the showdown before it begins.
“In my opinion, if either fighter loses, you cannot do the fight,” Hearn said.
“I will feel sick at the ringwalk on July 25. Especially with what AJ’s come back from. I mean, there is that worry. Will he be the same? Everything we see in camp and in sparring lends us to suggest yes. But there’s a lot to overcome. That’s the importance of this fight as well in July.”
Hearn said both camps were fully aware of what was at stake and were focused on getting through the coming months without incident.
“Now we have signed to fight Tyson Fury. He has signed to fight Anthony Joshua. The only thing that stands in the way is July 25,” he said.
The Matchroom boss added that he did not expect Fury to face a particularly demanding opponent in his tune-up saying, “I don’t think he is going to be having a fight of any significance, even not the likes of Makhmudov. I don’t even think they’d have a fight at that level.
“They’ve got to do what they’ve got to do. I think everybody’s extremely focused, now that both fighters have signed, on just getting through the next couple of months and making sure we can give the world this mega-event.”
Joshua, 29-4 with 26 stoppages, last fought in December 2025, stopping YouTube personality Jake Paul in the sixth round in Miami. Fury, 35-2-1 with 24 stoppages, returned from a layoff earlier this year with a points win over Arslanbek Makhmudov in London.
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