The all-British bout has never materialised despite all of the talk but the promoter expects it to take place before the end of next year depending on the result of Joshua's fight against Daniel Dubois this weekend and Fury's rematch against Oleksandr Usyk in December.

Hearn told BBC Sport: "I do think AJ-Fury will happen regardless of whether Fury wins or not, but the size of the fight depends on their next two results."

Saudi Arabia has ploughed significant investment into boxing and has staged some of the biggest clashes of recent years and Hearn is hopeful that the "monster fight" will finally become a reality with support from the Middle East.

Asked if there is a deadline of 2025, the Matchroom promoter said: "Yes, definitely.

"If AJ beats Dubois and Fury beats Usyk, you've got the biggest fight in the history of the sport ever. If one loses and the other wins, it's still a monster fight."

Joshua will become a three-time world heavyweight champion if he can beat Dubois at Wembley Stadium and win the IBF belt on Saturday (21.09.24) and Hearn thinks it would be a superb accomplishment to match greats of the sport including Muhammad Ali, Lennox Lewis and Vitali Klitschko.

He said: "The magnitude of the achievement will be something incredible if he can pull it off.

"We're two wins away from undisputed and one win away from getting a fight to be undisputed. I truly believe he will still do it."

Joshua's fight against Dubois is set to be held in front of a post-war record crowd for boxing in the UK and Hearn lauded his charge for "transcending the sport" in Britain.

The promoter said: "People always ask me where the next AJ is coming from. You have to understand, this person is a one-off and there will never be another one.

"Whatever you think of his boxing ability, in terms of how he has transcended the sport, changed boxing by opening up stadium fights as part of the norm, it will never be repeated."