Eddie Hearn confident Anthony Joshua & Tyson Fury will fight in 2021 if Joshua beats Kubrat Pulev

Anthony Joshua: Heavyweight champion talks Fury, Pulev and fans

Eddie Hearn says he is "as close to 100%" as he can be that Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will fight in 2021, if Joshua beats Kubrat Pulev on Saturday.

Joshua defends his IBF, WBA and WBO belts at Wembley Arena against Bulgarian Pulev.

A win could lead to him facing WBC champion Fury, the first time all four heavyweight titles would be contested.

Hearn, Joshua's promoter, said he wants most details for the fight confirmed by the weekend.

"I am as close to 100% as I can be that the Fury fight will happen if AJ wins on Saturday," he said.

Saturday's bout with Pulev is 31-year-old Joshua's first fight since winning a rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr on a unanimous points decision 12 months ago.

Anthony Joshua v Kubrat Pulev in 60 seconds

"All we've got to do is win and I don't know if that is why AJ is a bit edgy," Hearn added.

"Is he trying to make himself edgy to make sure he is switched on in the fight? Maybe against Ruiz in the first fight he wasn't edgy but I think he has really invested his time in improving since that Ruiz fight and he really wants to show those improvements."

Fury had been due to fight on 5 December but plans were abandoned and he will now not return to the ring until 2021.

Hearn hopes the 32-year-old's next fight will be against Joshua, who would likely face Oleksandr Usyk, the mandatory challenger for the WBO title, if Fury arranges a warm-up bout.

"I've mentioned it to their team. If Tyson has a warm-up fight, we'll fight Usyk and then everything gets… there is no reason for a warm-up fight," said Hearn, who has invited Fury to Saturday's fight.

"He boxed in February and he does not have the style where he needs a warm-up fight. It will be straight in and I think he is happy with that."

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