Eddie Hearn has insisted that if a deal can’t be reached between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, the two won’t fight – despite a scheduled presser next week.

Eddie Hearn has warned that if negotiations fall through between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, the pair simply won’t fight. Despite a press conference being scheduled for June 26 in London, Matchroom chief Hearn has insisted that a deal between the two boxers still isn’t done.

Talking to iFL TV earlier this week, the 45-year-old promoter looked flustered as he admitted that the proposed fight between AJ and Dubois isn’t quite set in stone just yet. He said: “There’s nothing done yet. Honestly, genuinely.

We’re in final negotiations for AJ’s fight – nothing is agreed yet. I’m telling you right now, the fight with Dubois is not done and if it don’t get done, we won’t fight.”

When asked if he’s talking to other fighters, Hearn noted that he’s got his “options open”, adding: “We’re focused on fighting Daniel Dubois for the world title at Wembley. But it is not all agreed, there’s still work to be done.

But 100% myself, his excellency [Turki Alalshikh], George Warren – we’re all working together to make it happen. That’s the absolute focus, no-one’s trying to be clever and hopefully that all gets in order for the big press conference next week.”

A  preliminary date for Joshua and Dubios to meet in the squared circle at Wembley Stadium has been set for September 21, with AJ taking to social media earlier this week to explain that talks are almost complete. He wrote on X: “Nearly finished my negotiations for my next fight! Feeling motivated.”

Joshua’s last bout came in March and saw him secure a knockout victory over MMA star-turned-pro boxer Francis Ngannou at the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia.

While there was speculation going into the bout as to how AJ would fare against his opponent – after ex-UFC heavyweight champ Ngannou went the distance with Tyson Fury in his boxing debut back in October 2023 – the 28-3 Watford scrapper would lay ‘The Predator’ out with a stiff right in the second round.

Dubois, meanwhile, is no stranger to sharing the ring with some of the best boxers of his generation. With a record of 21-2, Dynamite DDD has made light work of Filip Hrgović, Jarrell Miller and Kevin Lerena – only tasting defeat at the gloves of undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk and Joe Joyce in his career to date.