Signed, sealed & delivered: Contract for blockbuster Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua showdown is DONE, promoter says

The long-anticipated 'Battle of Britain' between the two men who hold all the marbles in boxing's heavyweight fold, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, has taken a giant step forward as Eddie Hearn confirms contracts have been signed.

Both Fury and Joshua have long stated their ambitions to fight one another in what would be the highest stakes heavyweight bout in a generation - but top level negotiations between the Fury and Joshua camps (and their respective exclusive broadcasters ESPN and DAZN) had repeatedly hit a brick wall.

Until now, it seems. It was revealed by ESPN on Monday afternoon, via Joshua's promoter Hearn, that contracts between the two giant fighters have been signed for TWO fights to take place, with at least one of them expected to take place this year.

As of yet, no details regarding the date or the location have been released but it is thought that promoters are still accepting site bids from regions thought to be interested in hosting the fight. 

The ongoing situation regarding Covid-19 in the United Kingdom, which would otherwise have almost certainly hosted the fight, means that other territories such as various regions in the Middle East have pulled ahead as potential locations - though it is understood that no decisions have yet been made in this regard.

The signing of the contract between the two fighters represents the culmination of years of speculation of a high profile showdown between the two. The fight has seemed at risk due to language in Deontay Wilder's contract following his two-fight stint opposite Fury in which he is guaranteed a third fight.

The American indicated after his seventh-round defeat to Fury more than a year ago that he intended to make good of this particular clause. Fury, who openly pined for a fight with Joshua, expressed his reticence at the idea - and finally seems to have secured the blockbuster fight he has been chasing.

The Fury-Joshua megafight, when it happens, will unify the major recognized titles in boxing's heavyweight division - with the winner being crowned boxing's first undisputed heavyweight champ since Lennox Lewis twenty years ago. 

Predictably, fight fans are already having their say as to who will come out on top when Fury and Joshua finally step into the ring, with some speculating that Joshua will "win by KO" while others just seem to be content that the fight appears to have finally been agreed after months of promotional foreplay.