Anthony Joshua could prioritise Fury fight in 2020, says promoter

If there’s room for only one contest this year due to the COVID-19 crisis, Joshua hopes his opponent would be Tyson Fury.

Anthony Joshua is scheduled for a bout with Kubrat Pelev on June 20, but it’s likely to be cancelled. - AP

Anthony Joshua wants to face Tyson Fury in a world heavyweight unification fight if he has to settle for just one bout this year due to the coronavirus.

Joshua is scheduled for a title defence against Kubrat Pulev at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 20, but the pandemic means that date is likely to be postponed. If the delay goes on beyond the summer leaving Joshua with room for only one contest in 2020, promoter Eddie Hearn said the WBO, WBA, IBF and IBO champion hopes his opponent can be WBC belt holder Fury for an all-British showdown.

The 30-year-old’s last fight was a title-winning victory against Andy Ruiz in Saudi Arabia in December. “We’ve got June 20 as a pencilled date for Anthony Joshua,” Hearn told

Sky Sports News on Friday.

“We will make a statement, potentially this week or early next week, that’s likely to be delayed, I think that’s pretty straightforward and obvious; hopefully till the end of July. If it starts kicking on beyond that, you get to a situation where if Joshua is only going to box once this year he’d like it to be against Tyson Fury.”

Fury is expected to complete his trilogy with Deontay Wilder later in 2020, having dethroned the American in February, but Hearn is hopeful some negotiations could be possible. “The situation is a little bit out of our hands,” he said.

“If Bob Arum and Al Haymon (Fury and Wilder's promoters) can talk and make Deontay Wilder wait a little bit we would love to go into that fight next. We are contractually bound to face Pulev who is with Bob Arum and there is a deal to be done. A lot depends on Deontay Wilder.”