Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul fight could still take place on one condition

Eddie Hearn remains open to a fight between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul, provided the latter isn't defeated by Gervonta Davis.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer recently returned to the ring for the first time since his victory over Mike Tyson in June, taking on Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Paul emerged victorious in a dominant decision over the former middleweight champion. Just months after this win, the young American confirmed he will be facing Davis on November 14 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

In recent months, Paul has been vocal about wanting a showdown with Joshua, which seemed likely to happen early next year. The 'Problem Child' was so eager to fight the two-time heavyweight champion that he was even prepared to accept a mere ONE PER CENT of the purse.

However, after a brutal snub from Joshua, it appears the Brit has moved on. 'AJ' hasn't fought since his loss to Daniel Dubois last September but is expected to make a comeback next year. Amid discussions of a return, Hearn has not ruled out a potential clash between Joshua and Paul - but concedes they will completely move on if the 'Problem Child' is defeated by 'Tank', reports All Out Fighting.

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"I spoke to Nakisa Bidarian today (Monday), they want to make the Jake Paul fight," Hearn told Ariel Helwani. "And I said to Nakisa 'we were right up for that fight, and we would do it. But, we cannot take that fight without seeing what happens against Tank.' Because if you get flattened by Tank, don't even think we can make an AJ fight."

It would not spell disaster if Joshua misses out on facing Paul, as Hearn acknowledges he is eyeing a massive bout for his prized fighter next summer. "Right now, we are planning to return in January or February. It has been well documented. We have had that offer, an approach from Ghana, and I think it would be the most tremendous thing for AJ to fight in Africa," Hearn continued.

"I really do. When you look at what he has done in his career, I think it would just be wild. He needs that fight. It has been a year now that he has been out of the ring. If we are going into a (Tyson) Fury or we are going to a (Daniel) Dubois, (Oleksandr) Usyk... whoever it is going to be... there will be a major fight next summer."

Hearn reckons a potential showdown between Tyson Fury and Joshua would represent boxing's biggest spectacle. The 'Gypsy King' declared his retirement in January following consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk last year, but dramatically reversed his decision in July.

Despite his previous comments, Fury has stated that he won't be stepping back into the ring, even though he regularly posts training videos. Regardless of whether Joshua fights the 'Gypsy King', Hearn is keen to arrange a match for his star against a top contender next summer.

The boxing promoter concluded: "He needs to get back in the groove against a top twenty guy, that he can go in, blow the cobwebs off, look good and gear himself up for the last big roll of the dice. Right now, I would say January or February in Africa is very common and I would be looking to head out to see AJ next week to try and finalise some plans."

When is the next boxing event?

Oscar Collazo and Jayson Vayson are set to face off in an exciting showdown on Saturday night. The bout will take place at Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio. The main undercard is expected to start around 2am Sunday morning UK time (9pm ET / 8pm CT / 6pm PT).

In the main event, it's likely that Vayson will make his entrance first, around 4am Sunday morning UK time (11pm ET / 10pm CT / 8pm PT). Fans can catch all the action live on DAZN, which is available in over 200 countries with a DAZN subscription.