ANTHONY JOSHUA’S heavyweight unification bout with Tyson Fury is edging ever closer, as contract talks advance this week.
Boxing fans around the world have been clamouring for the fight for much of the last 12 months, particularly since Fury’s demolition of Deontay Wilder last February.
And with Olexandr Usyk and the Bronze Bomber seemingly out of the way for now, talks between Bob Arum, Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn are set to ramp up this week.
The Gypsy King’s US co-promoter Arum, 89, explained to talkSPORT: “I talked to Eddie yesterday.
“Eddie, with the Joshua people, will have the first draft of the contract to us on Tuesday.
“And then I will circulate it to Frank [Warren], to Tyson and to the various lawyers.
“We’ll then get back to Eddie with our comments and I really believe that this is pretty much a no-brainer because everybody are professionals and want this to happen.
“So I think shortly we’ll be able to tie this up and then jointly select the site.”
On the process itself, he added: “When we get the draft we’ll have our input and send them back a red line copy.
“They’ll study it and send us back a copy, and within a week or two we’ll have a complete meeting of the minds, I’m very confident.
“And we’ll get a document that both parties can sign.”
As for the location, hopes were raised that the ‘Battle of Britain’ unification bout would take place on home soil.
But given the current uncertainty in the UK, those plans have been scuppered.
Arum continued: “The appropriate place would’ve been the United Kingdom.
“But with the restrictions and uncertainty, we’re looking for a site someplace else – be it the Mid-East or Asia.
“And I’m sure that once we get this document signed, we’ll jointly be able to select the site and get it announced.”
