The boxing world wants Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury, and Eddie Hearn can hardly disagree. The recent exchange between the two former heavyweight champions has once again brought attention to a matchup that has lingered for years. Yet, given the stakes involved – it could be the biggest fight in British boxing history – there is still work to be done before anything is finalized.

That is exactly why Hearn is urging caution. A decision driven purely by optics does not suit a fight of this scale. His comments come after Tyson Fury‘s recent callout of Joshua at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Fighting in the main event of the Netflix boxing show, the Mancunian defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov in his return from a 15-month retirement. The bout is being viewed as a setup for a far bigger challenge – Anthony Joshua. Soon after the fight, Fury called out Joshua for a ring face-off. But the Olympic gold medalist refused, choosing instead to respond from his ringside seat. To Hearn and many others, that moment underlined a key point. The fight is there, but it will take time and careful planning.

“I think there’s a difference between ‘we’re all moving forward to finalize the fight’ and ‘a fight being done and signed,'” Hearn told Ariel Helwani. “The first is where we are at the moment. It is absolutely our intention to try and close this deal with his excellency, with Netflix, with everybody involved. But it’s not done, and it’s not signed.”

That caution is not without reason. The Matchroom head pointed to past attempts, recalling how even before Turki Alalshikh came into boxing, efforts were made to schedule a fight between AJ and Fury. But the matchup never came together. Given that history, expecting progress simply because of an in-ring face-off would be unrealistic.

With so much at stake, rushing into the fight without addressing key details would make little sense, Eddie Hearn said. There is also a personal dimension. AJ is coming off a difficult period, having lost two of his closest friends and team members.

“We need to make sure that everything’s exactly right for us,” Hearn said. “And as I said, we’re fully committed to making this fight, and I fully expect this fight to happen. But it will happen at our speed, in the right way, and hopefully that won’t be too long.”

That approach also ties into how Joshua handled Fury’s callout, with many suggesting he may have already gained an early edge in the exchange.

Anthony Joshua draws first blood against Tyson Fury from ringside

At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Fury urged Joshua to join him in the ring. With Eddie Hearn sitting next to him, the former unified champion refused and stayed seated.

“You ain’t gonna tell me what to do,” he fired. “I’ve been chasing you for the last 10 years. When you’re ready, you come and see me and tell me your terms and conditions, and I’ll have you in the ring when I’m ready. I’m the boss. You work for me. I’m the landlord. Remember that. I’m the landlord. You work for me.”

Joshua’s response drew praise for its restraint. Fury’s remarks did not provoke him. He stayed composed and, in doing so, appeared to gain the upper hand. Eddie Hearn could barely hide his pride as he watched his star fighter frustrate Fury to the point where he even threatened retirement if the AJ fight did not happen next.

For Hearn, though, the moment carried more weight than just a verbal exchange at ringside.

“He’s (AJ) done remarkably well to get him back to this position, you know, almost physically ready to start a full camp,” he said. “And I gotta say, he looks great. He sounds great. I think he has a real purpose going into this camp. I’m really excited, and I have no doubt he’ll beat Tyson Fury.”