PROMOTERS will submit purse bids for Joe Joyce’s fight against Oleksandr Usyk and Eddie Hearn is looking to win.
The Matchroom promoter confirmed his organisation would be in the running as he edges closer to confirming Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury.
IBF, WBA, and WBO champion AJ is set to take on WBC belt-holder Fury in a mega-fight later this year to become undisputed heavyweight champ.
Usyk’s status as WBO mandatory had threatened to de-rail the bout but the governing body moved to accelerate Joshua vs the Gypsy King.
As a result, the winner of Joyce vs Usyk would likely meet the winner of the Battle of Britain super-fight.
Hearn told Sky Sports: “The WBO have ruled [Usyk vs Joyce] for the interim title with a view to the winner fighting the winner of AJ-Fury.
“I believe that fight will go to purse bids in a couple of weeks.
“Certainly we will be bidding for that fight. It is a good fight.
“There is history between the two of them from the amateur game.
“It is a fight that we would be interested in putting together.”
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Joyce’s manager Sam Jones of S-Jam Boxing confirmed: “We are still in negotiations to get the fight done.”
Joyce overcame fellow Brit Daniel Dubois to take his unbeaten record last year and is ranked No 2 by the WBO.
Hearn also revealed last week he is confident AJ vs Fury will NOT be affected by Deontay Wilder’s legal challenge.
The American sought mediation last year to try and land a trilogy fight with Fury, which he believes he’s contractually entitled to.
Team Fury, however, are adamant Wilder‘s rematch clause expired last October.
And Hearn isn’t concerned about Wilder’s attempts to land a third fight with The Gypsy King, telling Sky Sports: “That’s a problem and a question really for Top Rank, and Bob Arum.
“We’ve been assured by them, that’s not going to be an issue in making this fight. I do believe that Deontay Wilder, he was supposed to be fighting in January.
“Now we’re in the middle of February, so how much longer is he going to wait? He’s been out of the ring for a year now, and he’s slowly imploding in every single interview that he gives. He should get back in the ring.
“That’s a Fury problem, a Team Fury problem. We’re confident that it won’t impact our fight, or the announcement.”
Negotiations over Joshua vs Fury resumed after the former’s ninth-round TKO victory over Kubrat Pulev last December.
A two-fight deal has already been agreed, although the finer details of the contract have yet to be finalised.
