Xu primed for shot at history

"I can imagine a few of them saying, 'Surely you can just get me in, Josh, and I'll stand at the back or something'.

"But if that's what it would have to be to make sure that we got the big fight then it would have to happen like that."

Matchroom Boxing boss Hearn on Wednesday said he is considering moving heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua's next fight against Kubrat Pulev, which was originally scheduled for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London in June, to the Middle East, possibly behind closed doors.

It's unclear if Hearn might explore this option for Xu's fight.

"These (Middle East) countries are going to be up and running a lot quicker than our country or America," Hearn told Boxing Social.

"Would Saudi (Arabia) or Dubai or Abu Dhabi be ready to stage an event in September or October? I think 100 percent."

Xinhua contributed to this story.