Joshua vs Fury Fight Hangs In The Balance
The proposed heavyweight blockbuster between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury has been thrown into fresh uncertainty after Zuffa Boxing chief Dana White questioned whether the long-awaited contest will actually take place.
Joshua and Fury have reportedly signed agreements to fight, but the two camps remain divided over the venue. While Netflix and Saudi financier Turki Alalshikh are said to favour staging the bout in the United States, potentially at Madison Square Garden in New York, Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn want the fight held in the United Kingdom.
Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, has warned that the disagreement could ultimately kill the fight if the parties fail to reach a compromise.
White, whose involvement has reportedly focused on television and venue arrangements, expressed frustration with the prolonged saga.
He said the fight should have happened a decade ago and questioned whether both fighters still genuinely want to face each other.
Joshua, who has a 30-4 professional record with 27 knockouts, and Fury, who is 36-2-1 with 25 knockouts, had originally been targeting a September date. However, the schedule was pushed back following a tragic accident involving Joshua in which two of his close friends died.
Warren said the bout is now expected to take place in November, although the venue remains unresolved.
According to reports, Fury's agreement does not require the fight to be staged in Britain, while Joshua's contract reportedly specifies the United Kingdom as the location.
White said the situation was ultimately straightforward: both fighters must be willing to make the contest happen.
“The fight should have happened 10 years ago. Is it going to happen now? We’ll see,” he said.
For now, the venue dispute remains the biggest obstacle to what would be one of the most anticipated all-British heavyweight fights in boxing history.
Joshua and Fury have reportedly signed agreements to fight, but the two camps remain divided over the venue. While Netflix and Saudi financier Turki Alalshikh are said to favour staging the bout in the United States, potentially at Madison Square Garden in New York, Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn want the fight held in the United Kingdom.
Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, has warned that the disagreement could ultimately kill the fight if the parties fail to reach a compromise.
White, whose involvement has reportedly focused on television and venue arrangements, expressed frustration with the prolonged saga.
He said the fight should have happened a decade ago and questioned whether both fighters still genuinely want to face each other.
Joshua, who has a 30-4 professional record with 27 knockouts, and Fury, who is 36-2-1 with 25 knockouts, had originally been targeting a September date. However, the schedule was pushed back following a tragic accident involving Joshua in which two of his close friends died.
Warren said the bout is now expected to take place in November, although the venue remains unresolved.
According to reports, Fury's agreement does not require the fight to be staged in Britain, while Joshua's contract reportedly specifies the United Kingdom as the location.
White said the situation was ultimately straightforward: both fighters must be willing to make the contest happen.
“The fight should have happened 10 years ago. Is it going to happen now? We’ll see,” he said.
For now, the venue dispute remains the biggest obstacle to what would be one of the most anticipated all-British heavyweight fights in boxing history.
