Eddie Hearn gives Tyson Fury ringside invite to Anthony Joshua fight and warns refusing is ‘sign of weakness’

EDDIE HEARN has invited Tyson Fury to come and watch Anthony Joshua’s fight from ringside – and warned refusing is a sign of weakness. Fury danced around Polish punchbag Mariusz Wach for seven rounds in Thailand – 24 hours before AJ returns against Kristian Prenga. Tyson Fury beat Mariusz Wach in Thailand Credit: Getty Anthony Joshua weighing in to fight Kristian Prenga Credit: Getty Eddie Hearn invited Fury to Joshua vs Prenga Credit: sunsport The Gypsy King has insisted he will NOT make the 4,000 mile trip to Jeddah to watch and potentially face off with his Great British rival. Hearn’s right hand man Frank Smith even claimed Matchroom would book Fury’s flights just to get him face-to-face with AJ. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! And while Hearn may leave the expense to the Saudi financiers Sela – he reckons Fury has to show his face to help save it. He said: “Frank Smith said that? Oh, he’s adventurous with my money, isn’t he! I believe Sela have said they’ll lay on a jet for him. “So, why wouldn’t you come? The fight’s signed. But Fury’s Fury, I guess he don’t like to be told what to do.” “I mean, some might say it’s a sign of weakness, you didn’t want to come face-to-face with him, but I don’t know.” Joshua, 36, and Fury 37, have already signed their terms for the long overdue Battle of Britain. All AJ has to do now is knock over 20-1 Albanian Prenga, 35. Most read in Sport BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga - all the info Anthony Joshua faces Kristian Prenga in his huge comeback fight The Home of Boxing in 2026 There's a massive year of boxing ahead! It’s shaping up to be a blockbuster year of action inside the boxing ring. Anthony Joshua returns to the ring in July to face Kristian Prenga ahead of a potential blockbuster bout against Tyson Fury later in the year. The Gypsy King has beaten Mariusz Wach in his second fight of the year to hold up his end of the deal with AJ. And Moses Itauma returns for his toughest fight yet against Filip Hrgovic in August. Here’s all the big fights coming up… July Sat 25 – Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga – DAZN PPV Sun 26 – Errol Spence Jr vs Tim Tszyu August Sat 1 – Pierce O’Leary vs Mark Chamberlain – DAZN Sat 15 – Claressa Shields vs Kaye Scott – DAZN Sat 29 – Moses Itauma vs Filip Hrgovic – DAZN September Sat 12 – Conor Benn vs Ryan Garcia – DAZN *If you click a link in this boxout, we will earn affiliate revenue. Joshua and Hearn know what it is like to lose a super-fight overnight – having seen a two-fight deal with Deontay Wilder collapse. On that occasion, Wilder, 40, was stunned by Joseph Parker, 34, just hours before AJ beat Otto Wallin. But Hearn was not sweating what went on in Thailand against hopeless 46-year-old veteran Wach. He said: “When Wilder fought Joseph Parker, I knew it was a tough fight. I did expect him to win, but this fight with Wach, there was no danger. “He didn’t try to win, he couldn’t win. So yeah, I wouldn’t have even checked the result after. “I knew someone would tell me, but he was never going to lose the fight. “So, I guess he got out of it what he wanted to get out of it, which was just literally wrap the hands, dance around for six, seven rounds. But we got to see enough.” Hearn is adamant AJ is in for a far more competitive night with Prenga. He said: “I don’t think it’ll be easy. Honestly, there is a chance AJ could walk through him, because if he hits you early, as we’ve seen, you’re done. “But I think this guy comes with ambition. I think he’s decent and, you know, more importantly, AJ’s been through a hell of a lot. “And there’s a lot of pressure on him on many different levels tomorrow night. So I just want the win, however it comes. “But if he can look spectacular, that’s always nice.” It remains to be seen if Fury – one of boxing’s most prolific bluffers – does come to finally square off against Joshua. But Hearn says the two will collide sooner or later. He grinned: “Congratulations. And we hope to see you tomorrow night. If not, we’ll see you very soon.” Comment now