Promoter Eddie Hearn has responded to reports that his heavyweight protege Anthony Joshua has agreed to fight Tyson Fury after years of fans demanding the fight.

Joshua was last to face YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, collecting a monumental payday following a sixth-round stoppage. Tragedy struck, however, when the Olympic gold medalist and two-time university champion was involved in a car accident in Lagos, Nigeria, which resulted in the death of two of his close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele.

This put initial plans to fight Fury on hold while “AJ” recovered physically and mentally. These negotiations may resume with the imminent return to camp – but one report has moved the issue significantly.

Last weekend, talkSPORT’s Gareth A Davies said on air that the fight was “agreed” and would be broadcast live on Netflix, despite Joshua and Hearn working with DAZN.

Speaking to The Stomping Ground, Hearn – who has been promoting “AJ” since his professional debut and will continue to do so until his retirement after signing the career-long partnership in 2021 – stated that this statement is not true.

“Completely untrue. There is absolutely nothing signed with Anthony Joshua fighting Tyson Fury next. Nothing is agreed. There were talks – deep talks before the accident – that he would fight Jake Paul, then he would fight in February or March in Saudi Arabia, and then he would fight Tyson Fury. Then, of course, the accident happened.

“There have been no discussions about this fight since then, apart from conversations with Dr. Rakan over the last few days. [Alharthy]Sela, I’m starting to think about reconsidering the plan.

Fury returns to fight Arslanbek Makhmudov next month and has said his only goals are AJ, the winner of Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois and a trilogy fight with Oleksandr Usyk.

Information on Joshua’s return to training camp will be provided in the coming weeks, with a return to fighting expected in delayed summer.

This uncertainty does not necessarily reflect Whittaker himself. In boxing, the direction of a fighter’s career is usually shaped by promoters and matchmakers, especially in the beginning. The result in this case was a series of fights designed more as exhibitions than meaningful tests against rivals.

“I have to activate him because he is not vigorous enough and it is an crucial year for Ben Whittaker,” Hearn told The Stomping Ground.

Ben’s style often made these fights fun. He is a skillful boxer with quick hands and robust reflexes, and these qualities provided the highlights that helped him build his Matchroom profile. At the same time, his matchmaking rarely pits him against opponents capable of forcing changes that reveal a fighter’s true level.

This becomes crucial because reflex-based fighters typically perform best in their early 20s. The combination of speed, timing and movement is most effective before these responses begin to sluggish down in an athlete in their 30s. As Whittaker approached this stage of his career, the lack of a clear, advancing opponent became increasingly noticeable.

By comparison, former Olympic champions often entered arduous fights much earlier in their professional careers. Four years after starting his professional career Sugar Ray Leonard he has already won the world title and shared the ring with Roberto Durán twice. Whittaker’s career was much slower.

Hearn admitted in a recent interview that Whittaker had not been vigorous enough and suggested Matchroom could announce two fights close to each other to build momentum. This approach may keep him busy, but will still leave the main issue unresolved if his opponent remains below his rival’s level.

“We can actually announce two fights in a reasonable order because I need to escalate his activity,” Hearn said.

Until Whittaker faces an opponent who can push him through a competitive multi-round fight, the debate about his true standing in the division will likely continue. The talent is evident. What remains unclear is how this talent will fare when the opponent’s level eventually increases. Whittaker clearly did not have the right selection of fighters to prepare him for fights with David Benavidez, David Morrell or Dmitry Bivol.

Jermall Charlo may get a chance to become the world champion in three weight categories.

Charlo made his long-awaited return to the ring last May, defeating Thomas LaManna by sixth-round stoppage.

It was his second fight at 168 pounds and only his third since June 2021, after previously reigning as the IBF super welterweight and WBC middleweight champion before a lengthy layoff due to injury and mental health issues.

Now he may get a chance to add the WBA super middleweight title to that list This was reported by Inside The Ring that he is in talks with Armando Resendiz at the Gilberto Ramirez vs. David Benavidez gala, which will take place on May 2 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Resendiz won the WBA interim 168-pound belt the upset victory over Caleb Plant last year, This victory actually ruined plans for a fight between Plant and Charlo.

Nearly a year later, Mexican Resendiz is likely to secure the fight against Charlo himself, which will be the first defense of his WBA title after being elevated from interim status and given the vacant belt following Terence Crawford’s retirement in December.

It would be a tough test against Charlo, who is ranked third in the WBA league. Despite his inaction, the American still has an undefeated record of 34-0, defeating the likes of Jose Benavidez Jr, Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Matt Korobov and Austin Trout. Resendiz will be looking to capitalize on ring rust to record a win over a standout name.

A possible championship clash would be a sturdy addition to the Las Vegas card before Ramirez puts his WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles against Benavidez in the main event.