Still hope for Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury as Eddie Hearn ‘expected’ to finalise $150million Saudi Arabia site deal, despite Bob Arum saying fight is ‘dead in the water’

Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury is hanging in the balance, but there is still hope the undisputed title fight will happen next.

Fight contracts were signed last month for the historic heavyweight clash, but this was all contingent on a site deal being secured.

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Both camps agreed on a reported $150m pact that would take the fight to Saudi Arabia and AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn insists he is still working to finalise the paperwork and get this over the line.

However, Fury’s US co-promoter Arum said on Thursday night that, from their perspective, the bout is now ‘dead in the water’ as he believes it will take months to complete the Saudi deal.

Despite this, reports also emerged on Thursday night contradicting Arum's remarks.

According to , the Saudi deal IS expected to be completed this weekend.

It's claimed this will take the bout to Riyadh in early August.

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Some are speculating that Arum's comments were designed to put pressure on Hearn and the Saudis, forcing them to speed up their talks.

He told the : “It will take months for the Saudis to do their due diligence on such a huge deal.

“It is not just a site fee, there are ancillary demands from the Saudis stretching into the broadcast deals and other things, it could take months for it all to play out.

“It could even take until 2022 the way it looks right now.

“The fight in July or August is dead in the water as far as we are concerned.

“The two fighters need to go and have other fights this summer while the negotiations for that fight in the Middle East conclude.” 

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Hearn reacted to Arum's comments by telling on Friday: "Over the space of five or six hours, the fight was 'in jeopardy' and the fight was 'dead in the water' without having one conversation with anybody.

"Bob's just completely lost the plot basically. Four days ago, it was done and he gave everybody the information of the deal…

"He just decided to himself it was dead in the water. It's irrational behaviour, he's extremely fickle.

"I love Bob, but he's lost his mind here. With Tyson Fury, his lawyers, we're all on track...

"All we've gotta do now is get the final contract - that all the lawyers are across - and we send it to them and say, 'It's done, sign it.'"