As speculation continues to grow over a potential blockbuster heavyweight showdown between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury in 2021, the first concrete sign that a deal is imminent has been realised.

After months - and indeed years - of conjecture whether the two British fighters would ever meet, promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed that the initial drafts of a contract have been made and exchanged between himself, Bob Arum and Frank Warren.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Hearn revealed that a big step has been made toward making what would be the biggest fight in British boxing history.

With a possible two-fight deal in the pipeline, Joshua's promoter detailed the first draft had been concluded, adding that this time, there is a will to finally bring the two fighters together after multiple failed attempts.

Hearn stated, "The first draft of the contract has now gone out to Bob Arum, which is obviously a good thing. The contract reflects the positive nature of the discussions we have had so far around this fight."

Joshua, 31, the two-time undisputed champion, has sought to unify the WBC crown with his WBA, IBF and WBO titles since beating Wladimir Klitschko in 2017.

As a fight with Deontay Wilder failed to materialise however, former champion Tyson Fury returned to the scene and went on to stun the Alabama man in February of last year.

Joshua himself ten went on to reclaim his belts from Andy Ruiz Jr. in their own rematch.

After the Watford man beat the durable Kubrat Pulev at Wembley's SSE Arena in December, there appeared to be no obstacles left to thwart the showdown meeting.

Indeed, now the fight looks something close to reality, with the likes of Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Abu Dhabi registering their interest in hosting the lucrative event.

An agreement is yet to be fully met however, as Hearn added that Fury's camp, namely Arum and Warren, are expected to respond in the coming days.

"We now await their comments before we all move on to agreeing a location. We hope to have something signed within the next two weeks."

It is thought a June date is being drawn up, with fight purse set to be split 50-50, with the optimistic projection is that site fees and pay-per-views could count towards a £100m payday for each man.

The proposed rematch is understood to be on the terms of the winner of the first fight drawing a favourable 60-40 divide.