Lomachenko vs Campbell: Hughie Fury was very close to fight with Anthony Joshua, says Eddie Hearn

Anthony Joshua had previously welcomed a showdown with Tyson Fury, but his British rival’s cousin Hughie was also “very close” to a domestic clash.

Hughie Fury is now preparing for a crucial heavyweight clash with Alexander Povetkin on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Luke Campbell at The O2 on August 31, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

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But a few years ago, the young prospect was picked as a potential opponent for Joshua, and we asked his new promoter Eddie Hearn and father Peter Fury to reveal why the Brit battle never took place…

Eddie Hearn

Actually, there was a time around the Anthony Joshua versus Dillian Whyte fight that Hughie was the mandatory for the British title.

I never believed that Peter Fury and [promoter] Mick Hennessey wanted the Joshua fight. But now I know them, they did want the fight because I’ve seen them fight Joseph Parker aged 22, and Kubrat Pulev aged 23.

Now aged 24 he’s fighting Povetkin, so the guy is fearless. There was a time when the Hughie versus Joshua fight was very close – I just didn’t believe them! Now knowing them, I know they wanted it.

Peter Fury

We were talking about Hughie fighting somebody else. I can’t remember. Hughie was scheduled to fight somebody else and after that fight, we were going to take the AJ fight.

Eddie wanted it, there and then, but we had already given our word to fight somebody else and Hughie was young, and I saw that Hughie needed another fight. I said ‘he’s got this fight in the next couple of months, you are scheduled for AJ to have a fight, let’s fight for the next one,’ but it never transpired, so it never happened.

Well, I think as history tells you now, it would have been taken. I’d said we’d take it, and we would have taken it, and if it comes up in the future, or any fight comes up in the future…

Get past Povetkin, I’m not interested in bum city, we’re working here seven days a week nearly. Let’s get the world level fights on, he’s at that stage.

Watch Hughie Fury against Alexander Povetkin on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Luke Campbell bill at The O2 on August 31, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

(c) Sky Sports 2019: Lomachenko vs Campbell: Hughie Fury was very close to fight with Anthony Joshua, says Eddie Hearn