Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury have signed a two-fight deal to face each other for the undisputed heavyweight championship, promoter Eddie Hearn has announced.

British rivals Joshua and Fury have been in negotiations for several months to agree showdowns for the four major belts in boxing's glamour division.

Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs) holds the WBA, WBO and IBF belts, having successfully defended his title with a ninth-round stoppage of Kubrat Pulev at Wembley Arena in December.

Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) sensationally dethroned Deontay Wilder to claim the WBC crown in February last year but has not boxed since.

A date and venue for the initial encounter are yet to be confirmed, although Hearn – who promotes Joshua under his Matchroom Sport banner – told ESPN on Monday that both parties put pen to paper over the weekend.

"We'd like to get a site deal confirmed in the next month," Hearn said.

"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."

Tyson Fury claims he is drinking up to "12 pints of lager a day" and not training or eating as he cast doubts over whether he will fight Anthony Joshua.

Fury's promoter Bob Arum this month stated that a deal has finally been agreed for a heavyweight unification bout to be staged.

WBC champion Fury has let it be known he is tired of waiting to get into the ring with his fellow Briton and claims he has stepped up his alcohol intake rather than his training schedule.

"I have stopped training at the moment, I am on holiday," Fury, who last fought against Deontay Wilder in February 2020, told the IFL.

"I am drinking anything between eight, 10, 12 pints of lager a day, at the minute, but I am not eating so I am getting my calories through alcohol.

"I have trained and trained and trained with no progress so I am now a man of leisure."

Fury says he is not paying any attention over talk of an agreement to fight Joshua being done until it is signed and sealed, suggesting that may never happen.

He added: "Whatever they say is very unimportant to me because, until I have a fight date and a hell of a lot of money in my pocket, there is no fight.

"Will I be fighting Joshua in the next 10 minutes? No. Do I think the fight will eventually happen? Yes, it has to happen. Do I think it is next or imminent? No. I am not going to hold my breath for it, that's for sure.

"I am not going to put all my eggs in one basket because I have been guilty of doing that before and, when the fight doesn't happen, that is when I end up in a massive depression and feel like killing myself.

"I am not going to say ‘it is definitely happening in June or July."

Bob Arum says a deal for a blockbuster world heavyweight unification fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua has finally been agreed.

WBC champion Fury last month stated that he had grown tired of waiting for his next bout amid talks with Joshua's camp.

Joshua told Fury he was ready to fight him "in my back garden [or] your back garden".

A roadmap has been set up by coronavirus restrictions to be eased over the coming months in the United Kingdom, with social distancing rules potentially being lifted on June 21.

That could make an all-British battle a possibility on home soil in June and although Arum could not provide details, Fury's promoter believes an agreement has been reached.

"As far as I'm concerned, all the points have been agreed to," the American told IFL TV. 

"That's what each side has said. Now, we're just scrambling around to get things signed.

"I can say clearly, based on my view of everything, there are no more issues."

Tyson Fury intends to fight twice in 2021 having grown tired of waiting for his next bout amid talks with Anthony Joshua.

WBC heavyweight champion Fury was last in action in February 2020 when he beat Deontay Wilder in a rematch after the 2018 draw between the pair.

A trilogy fight against Wilder was due to follow, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed plans and the clash fell through when no date was agreed for last year.

Fury has since been consumed with discussion of a long-awaited unification bout against Joshua.

The 32-year-old remains concerned by the lack of progress in negotiations and is determined simply to get back in the ring, regardless of the opponent.

"It was just a big mess-up," Fury told ESPN of the Wilder trilogy. "I should have boxed, because I've been so inactive. I've been out for over a year.

"By the time I fight again, looking at maybe June if this Joshua fight happens, that will be a year and six months out of the ring, which is not ideal preparation for any super-fight.

"If that fight doesn't happen this summer, it's got to happen sooner or later.

"But Top Rank has to give me two fights this year. I will fight two times on ESPN. I don't care who it is.

"If it's not Joshua, we're looking to fight in April or early May and the end of the year. If it is Joshua, then June and the end of the year. Bang, bang. So, 2021 is looking bright."

On facing Joshua, he added: "They've had a full year to try and make this fight happen.

"Since the last Wilder fight, even before the Wilder fight, they were talking about a fight potentially between me and Joshua.

"They've had a full year to make something happen, and it hasn't happened as of yet. It is what it is. We're no further forward today than we were a year ago.

"The way [the pandemic] is at the moment, I don't think [negotiations have] got much to do with the fighters.

"It's to do with the venue, date, place, site fees. It's to do with everything but the fight itself."

Anthony Joshua has no concerns over where his undisputed heavyweight showdown against Tyson Fury might be staged – boasting he is ready to fight "in my back garden [or] your back garden".

Talks between the camps of WBC heavyweight champion Fury and Joshua, who holds the WBA, WBO and IBF versions, are progressing with a view to sealing potentially the richest bout in boxing history.

Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports earlier this month that only "minor details" needed to be ironed out after both camps had swapped draft contracts.

The developing COVID-19 situation means a variety of locations are being considered as hosts, with a fight in the UK in the middle of this year appearing a long-shot.

Hearn has listed Saudi Arabia, the United States, Qatar, Dubai, Singapore and China as possible destinations, but Joshua told Sky News he has no preference.

"Any option. Home turf, Middle East, my back garden, your back garden. I don't mind where it is," he said.

"I'm just ready to fight. I want that belt. I want to compete with Fury so all options are open to me.

"[The pandemic] is getting close to things being normal. We're working on a date for around June.

"So if Tyson is serious, which I think he is, he'll know where to come and find the boss.

"I'm ready. I'm really looking forward to competition - all I want to do is fight, fight, fight."

Joshua, who secured a dominant ninth-round triumph over Kubrat Pulev in December, and his manager Freddie Cunningham have both claimed positive developments in the talks with Fury's team this week.

"I try not to do too much teasing. I had a catch-up with 258 Management, the great team I've been working with since I turned professional," the 31-year-old added.

"They have been working in negotiations. They updated my promotional team, they updated me."

Fury became a two-time heavyweight champion when he demolished Deontay Wilder to claim the WBC crown 12 months ago.

Wilder's apparent desire to activate a rematch clause could yet scupper Joshua v Fury, although the American has behaved erratically since his first career loss and Hearn has been told by Fury's representatives that his option "isn't going to be an issue".

Joshua's mandatory for the WBO title is due, although the sanctioning body have ruled fellow Briton Joe Joyce will fight former unified cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in an interim bout, with the winner to face whoever prevails between Joshua and Fury.

Eddie Hearn hopes to finalise details for the "biggest fight in boxing" between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury in a fortnight.

WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Joshua and WBC champion Fury are due to do battle in a blockbuster bout this year.

A date and venue have not been disclosed for the all-British showdown, but Joshua visited his promoter Hearn on Wednesday to discuss terms.

The United States, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are among the countries where the first of two fights between the English duo could be staged.

Hearn is optimistic that all will be revealed in the near future.

The Matchroom Boxing boss told Sky Sports: "I hate saying two weeks, but two weeks [for the details to be confirmed]. 

"We're on the verge now of getting this fight done. We want to make sure the ink is dry, and then we'll go out and finalise the site details.

"I'm going to keep quiet for now, which probably won't last for too long, but in the meantime [I'm] working hard to finalise what is the absolute biggest fight in boxing."

He added: "Contracts have been backwards and forwards. Only minor details to be resolved on both ends. We're in a good place.

"AJ was in the office yesterday with us. We had a good meeting to finalise our side of stuff."

Anthony Joshua has vowed he will not become an old man in the boxing ring, stating he has "five years left" in his career.

Britain's WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight world champion is set for a unification fight with WBC belt holder Tyson Fury this year.

Details have yet to be disclosed of exactly where and when that two-fight series will happen, but it is poised to be a major moment in the career of both men, given the stakes involved.

Joshua is at that stage of his career where he is already a global star but where such fights matter in defining his legacy.

That is what he will look to achieve before hanging up his gloves, with the 31-year-old having shaken off the disappointment of a first professional defeat in 2019, when he lost to Andy Ruiz Jr.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Joshua said: "This isn't the start of my career. I'm coming towards the end of my career.

"I'm not someone who lives in the moment and thinks that everything is just like for now. I'm always planning ahead so I'm coming towards the end of my career.

"Five years left and that's basically an Olympic cycle. I've got an Olympic cycle and a little bit more left, so when you see the next Olympics happen is when I'll be coming to the end of my career and the next generation will be coming through."

Joshua beat Kubrat Pulev in December to keep a grip on his belts, allowing plans for the Fury bout to remain on track and progressing to a 24-1 career win-loss record.

A two-fight deal with Fury, who dismissed Joshua as a "chump" on social media on Thursday, was said to have been verbally agreed in the weeks after the Pulev fight.

Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn said the first instalment could happen in the Middle East unless stadiums are again allowed to be filled to capacity in the United Kingdom, currently a distant prospect amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Anthony Joshua would love his blockbuster bout with Tyson Fury to happen at Wembley Stadium but insisted he will face his domestic rival "wherever it is, whatever time it is".

IBF, WBA and WBO champion Joshua is finally set to face off against WBC champion Fury in 2021 after clearing the hurdle of Kubrat Pulev at England's national stadium last month.

It remains to be seen where the huge heavyweight showdown between the British foes will take place due to continued uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Boxing events in Britain are suspended in January due to the rise in COVID-19 cases and Joshua insists fans would need to be allowed to attend if the fight with Fury takes place at Wembley. 

"I would welcome Tyson Fury to that. I would welcome him to that all day," Joshua told Sky Sports News.

"It's brilliant for the kids of the local areas to come down. It's like half an hour drive, a couple of hours' drive for some of them.

"It's a brilliant opportunity to have it here as well, but the government have got to do right by the people and protect us from this virus. I understand the situation that the country is in.

"I think the possibilities of it being in this country are down to the pandemic, and how that shapes up.

"I feel, for me, I'm not too fussed where it is. I just want to get the fight, because there's so much variables, and so much for me to look at. Where is it going to be? Is he going to take the fight? Have I got a mandatory?

"I've just stripped it all back now and stopped dealing with that stuff. I've just said, 'Let me just fight Tyson Fury wherever it is, whatever time it is.'"

No specific date has yet been rubber-stamped for a fight that would see an undisputed heavyweight champion crowned, but Joshua is targeting a meeting by the middle of the year.

"I think maybe June, end of June," said Joshua.

"It needs a bit of time, because the pandemic is unpredictable at the minute. We don't know what's happening, but with a little more time, it gives us more time to prepare and plan.

"Right now, I said to the team, let's get ahead of the curve, let's start putting things in place now. They are doing a great job.

"I promise you, conversations and face-to-face meetings are happening with representations of my team and Tyson Fury's team."

Tyson Fury doubts Anthony Joshua's knockout power and claims his heavyweight rival has a confidence issue, having avoided fighting him "for a long time". 

The two British boxers appear on course to finally face each other after Joshua was victorious over Kubrat Pulev in December, stopping the Bulgarian in the ninth round of their bout at Wembley Arena. 

Both sides agreed in principle to a two-fight deal for 2021, though details over a date and venue for an initial bout are still being discussed.

After seeing off Pulev, IBF, WBA and WBO champion Joshua vowed to beat Fury when they finally go toe to toe, insisting he will take his "head off his shoulders" in the long-awaited showdown. 

However, in an interview with Fox Miami, the holder of the WBC title questioned Joshua's ability to back up his words. 

 "I don't think he's as good as people crack him up to be, or he doesn't believe he is, his own self. He's got a confidence issue," Fury said. 

"The fight has been brewing for a long time. They've been avoiding me for a long time. Now it's finally got to happen. 

"I've never seen him take anybody's head off anybody's shoulders in all of his 22 fights. It's probably a lie, another lie. We'll see if he's got the guts to try and do it." 

Fury had hoped to get in a bout before the end of 2020 - a year in which the boxing schedule was badly hampered due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic - only to shelve that plan.

The 32-year-old has not fought since February of last year, when he sensationally stopped the previously unbeaten Deontay Wilder in their rematch in Las Vegas.

Promoter Frank Warren has revealed talks are ongoing over a date and venue for Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua to meet in a fight that will be "one of the biggest in British boxing history".

The two heavyweights have both made clear they are keen for a lucrative unification showdown, with a two-fight deal previously agreed between both sides for 2021.

However, there are still details to be sorted out, including over exactly where a first bout will be staged, particularly with the continuing impact of the coronavirus pandemic on major sporting events.

Outlining his plans for the coming year in his column for the Daily Star, Warren - whose Queensberry Promotions work with Fury - has no doubts over who will prevail, whenever the event takes place.

"The big one that everyone wants to see is Tyson Fury against Anthony Joshua to decide the undisputed heavyweight champion," Warren wrote.

"Talks are continuing as we plan when and where to stage one of the biggest fights in British boxing history.

"Of course, I'm backing Fury to come out on top in that and prove what I believe that he is the best heavyweight in the world right now."

Joshua retained the IBF, WBA and WBO titles in December when he stopped Kubrat Pulev in front of a limited crowd of 1,000 at Wembley Arena.

Fury, meanwhile, holds the WBC belt, having dethroned Deontay Wilder in their rematch last February. He had hoped to fight again before the end of 2020, but was forced to shelve those plans.

Warren confirmed the continued COVID-19 health crisis makes it unclear exactly when fans will be able to be present in big numbers inside venues, but made clear "the planning and plotting continues".

That includes trying to fix a date for Carl Frampton's bid to win a world title a third different weight, 'The Jackal' set to take on WBO super-featherweight champion Jamel Herring as early as February.