Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua mega-fight ON after Hearn’s warning: dates, odds and venue revealed

Fury vs Joshua fight set for November after promoter’s verdict

Tyson Fury’s long-awaited mega-fight with Anthony Joshua is still on track for later this year after Matchroom supremo Barry Hearn ruled out a collapse. Fury, 37, and Joshua, 36, are scheduled to meet in an all-British heavyweight blockbuster in November: provided both win their warm-up bouts this weekend.

Fury steps into the ring against Mariusz Wach on Friday, while Joshua faces Kristian Penga the following evening. Both men are as short as 1/16 with bookmakers to deliver, though the final venue remains unconfirmed.

Hearn shoots down fight-collapse talk after Prenga team’s warning

Hearn, 78, dismissed suggestions the bout could still fall through despite noise from Penga’s team. They claimed Joshua made a “big mistake” by agreeing to fight in Saudi Arabia.

“No,” Hearn told **Mirror Sport**. “I don’t know if you’ve ever been hit on the chin by someone who weighs 17st… I haven’t, and I don’t want to. There’s always the potential of a banana skin in boxing. History tells us that. I think it’s unlikely in both cases, of course.”

He added: “Anthony Joshua, to his credit, he’s not thinking beyond Saturday. He knows what’s at stake here: a fight he’s wanted for 10 years has been signed for. All they have to do is deliver their respective victories.”

Hearn praises Joshua’s new training regime ahead of Fury showdown

Hearn also took aim at Penga’s camp, insisting they have “absolutely no idea what they’re talking about.” He praised Joshua’s shift under Oleksandr Usyk’s training methods.

“They’ve never been in with an animal like Anthony Joshua, especially in his Usyk training regime that he’s now adopted and embraced,” Hearn said. “He realised he thought he was doing the best training that he could ever do, and now he’s seen another level, which has inspired him.”

Hearn brands Fury vs Joshua ‘creme de la creme’ of modern boxing

Should the fight land as planned, Hearn believes it will sit alongside Ali’s ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ and ‘Thriller in Manila’ as one of boxing’s defining spectacles.

“Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua would be… I’m trying to think what would be bigger,” Hearn said. “You’re at Muhammad Ali, the Rumble in the Jungle. You’re at the thriller in Manila with Frazier and Ali. You’re at that level.”

He added: “It’s creme de la creme, but in today’s world it’s on Netflix. It’s just a massive global event. The big global events get bigger and bigger.”

Fury last fought in April, stopping Wladimir Klitschko’s nephew, Francis, inside two rounds. Joshua’s most recent outing came against YouTuber Jake Paul in December 2024.

The promoter expects the Fury-Joshua clash to smash commercial records, drawing a global audience beyond traditional boxing fans.