ANTHONY JOSHUA has been told a fight with Jake Paul is BIGGER than against Tyson Fury.
AJ is plotting a return before the end of the year having undergone surgery on his elbow earlier in the summer.
GettyAnthony Joshua is linked with fighting Tyson Fury and Jake Paul[/caption]
GettyJake Paul’s team are in talks with AJ’s[/caption]
GettyBut Tyson Fury is set to return in 2026 to pave the way for a Joshua fight[/caption]
And he remains linked with two blockbuster bouts – with long-time British rival Fury and YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul.
Asked what is the bigger bout, Eddie Hearn’s dad Barry picked Paul when asked by iFL TV: “I am not saying it should be.
“I am just saying it is the world we live in and everyone has the ability to ignore reality, but it never seems to really make sense at the end of the day.
“You have to listen to what people want. We are not governing our own destiny here, we listen to broadcasters, to fans, to sponsors, and we have to go where we have to go.
“If that does not appeal to what I call the traditionalists within boxing, of which, at a maximum, is five per cent of your audience.
“The day you run a business based on five per cent opinion, you will be out of business very quickly.”
Fury, 36, announced his retirement in January following consecutive losses against Oleksandr Usyk, 38, last year.
But he did confirm he will make a return in 2026 to spark fresh hope of a fight with Joshua, 35, who was knocked out by Daniel Dubois, 27, in September.
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Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh wants AJ and Fury to have comeback bouts before setting up a long-anticipated blockbuster.
But Alalshikh is also on board for 12-1 cruiserweight Paul, 28, to fight Joshua and so too is Hearn Sr.
He said: “I do not really have an opinion, I listen to the market!
“If a market says they want that product, you bring out that product. If the market says we love darts, then I would do lots of darts events.
“If the market says we want to see Anthony Joshua against the YouTuber or whatever his you want to call him, an influencer, the market have spoken.
“And anyone in business that does not listen to the market, do not stay in business very long.”
PAEddie Hearn, Anthony Joshua and Barry Hearn[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
