Fury went at Joshua at ringside and tried to force the start of the promotion, but it didn’t lead to an in-ring fight. After the fight, Fury questioned why Joshua didn’t step in and suggested he didn’t want the fight. At the post-fight press conference, Fury also said he had no interest in returning unless it was against Joshua.
This fight has been talked about for years without being signed, and Joshua is treating it as such. When he walks into the ring, he gives them a big promo moment for nothing. If the fight falls through again, he’s the one who looks bad. By staying out, he’s making it clear that it’s only moving forward when there’s a deal in place. When Joshua gets in the ring, he follows Fury’s lead. By staying out, he shuts it down, even if Fury then used it to interrogate him after the fight.
Hearn pointed to that history as the reason for Joshua’s stance and made it clear he still expects the fight to happen, but only once terms are agreed.
“He’s not in it if the fight isn’t over,” Hearn told Pro Boxing Fans. “How many times have we been here? Years and years, and it’s never happened. Until I see you across the ring, it’s all hype. He always did, and that’s why the fight never happened. AJ just says, ‘Look, you need me. You call me, and you’ll get me.’ Very confident that the fight will happen. But at the moment nothing has been signed.”
He also dismissed Fury’s claim that Joshua is “scared” while backing him to win if the fight goes to conclusion.
“Afraid of what? This tonight? Even Fury fans, not the same energy. They know. I don’t see anything but an AJ win.”
