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Joshua beat Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev in December
to retain his IBF, WBO and WBA titles and set up the prospect of
a mouth-watering clash with fellow Briton Fury, the WBC belt
holder.
"We'd like to get a site deal confirmed in the next month,"
Hearn, managing director of Matchroom Sport, Joshua's promoter,
was quoted as saying, adding that offers had come in from "eight
or nine sites.
"The hard part is always getting everybody to put pen to paper.
But this was a major effort from all parties to get this over
the line. You had rival promoters, rival networks and rival
fighters."
Matchroom did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for
comment.
Fury, 32, has not fought for over a year since his knockout win
against American Deontay Wilder, but said last month he would
fight twice this year.
"Top Rank has to give me two fights this year. I will fight two
times on (Top Rank network partner) ESPN," he said.
ESPN reported that both fights are set to take place in 2021
with the first in June or July followed by the rematch in
November or December.
The contract would have the fighters getting a 50-50 split in
the first bout and a 60-40 split in the rematch where the winner
would get the higher share.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Chopra
and Ken Ferris)
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