Finally, the wait is over as the date for Joshua’s fight against Fury is here

The world had previously anticipated the mega bout between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, but the wait is over at last.

Joshua whose earlier hope of an opportunity for a unified heavyweight title saw his expectations cut short when he suffered yet another blow in his bid to regain his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO world heavyweight titles as he was recently beaten for the second time by Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian-born British Joshua was surprisingly given a chance by his rival and compatriot Fury to have a shot at his WBC title last week as a gateway for a comeback after the former’s latest defeat to Usyk thus giving the world the opportunity to rekindle the hope of all-British mega fight.

However, National Daily can confirm that Joshua has now accepted ‘all terms’ as offered in respect to his fight against his heavyweight rival Fury thus making December 3 a reality for both to square up against each other in the ring.

National Daily understands that despite Joshua’s stock falling further by his third professional defeat, his rival Fury is determined to fight before the end of the year and knows the boxing fraternity is desperate to see him face his fellow Brit.

It is believed that Joshua has accepted The Gypsy King’s offer of 40 per cent of the fight purse – thought to be worth £75m – but discussions over a fight date rumbled on throughout the week.

Fury offered up two dates – November 26 and December 3 – but Joshua’s team were keen to wait until December 17.

However, those issues have now been ironed out, with Joshua’s management company 258 MGT confirming they have accepted ‘all terms’ of Fury’s offer.

A statement said: ‘258 and Matchroom Boxing can confirm, on behalf of Anthony Joshua, that we accepted all terms presented to us by Fury’s team for a fight Dec 3rd last Friday.

‘Due to the Queen’s passing, it was agreed to halt all communication. We are awaiting a response.’

Fury’s UK promoter, Queensbury Promotions boss Frank Warren, added that Joshua would receive a contract for the fight ‘very soon’.

Fury and Joshua looked set to fight last year while Joshua was still IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight champion.

The winner would have been crowned the division’s first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis, but the fight fell through after Deontay Wilder won an appeal to enforce a third fight against Fury.

Fury, 34, beat Wilder for a second time and returned to the ring in April when he knocked out Dillian Whyte at Wembley.

Confirmation of the Joshua-Fury fight comes after Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum suggested Joshua’s team would dodge the bout.

‘I don’t think it’s gonna happen because, while Fury would want it to happen, I put myself in the shoes of Eddie Hearn and Joshua,’ Arum told Boxing Social.

‘And after losing twice to Usyk, the first thing you want to do is to get him back in the ring and get him two fights where it restores his confidence. If he goes back in the ring now with Fury, it’s gonna be a massacre.’

Arum added: ‘I think that [the purse split] is pretty fair, right? I mean, Joshua’s not a champion anymore.

‘But again, let’s not jump – I don’t believe that Fury against Joshua will happen this year because everything that I know about boxing, from Joshua’s standpoint, indicates that it won’t happen.’

Fury has previously said that Cardiff’s Principality Stadium could host his fight with Joshua, although five of his last six bouts have taken place in America.

Making a fight with Joshua represents a stunning U-turn from Fury, who claimed he had ‘finally decided to walk away’ from boxing in the aftermath of his fight with Whyte.

‘On my 34th birthday I say bon voyage, Fury tweeted last month.

‘Massive thanks to everyone who had an input in my career over the years and, after long hard conversations, I’ve finally decided to walk away. See you all on the other side you big dossers 2008-2022.’