The heavyweight clash between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury is facing new issues. Promoter Frank Warren has said the fight could be delayed unless both sides agree on where it will take place, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
Warren, who promotes Fury under Queensberry, is still hopeful that this big fight will happen as planned in November. This is despite ongoing questions about the location of the match.
Wembley Stadium was the top choice for the fight, but problems with the proposed start time have moved Madison Square Garden in New York into the lead. Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh is believed to prefer the American venue because it would reach a bigger global audience.
This news comes just days after Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, mentioned that he would cancel the fight if the organizers announced New York as the venue without agreeing to move the fight from the UK. Hearn stated that both he and Joshua want to hold the fight at home as per their existing contract. He warned that any one-sided announcement about a New York venue would end the fight completely.
Warren responded to Hearn's comments by telling Box Nation that Fury's contract is different from what Hearn's camp has suggested. He insisted that the fight is still on track despite the disagreement.
"Tyson Fury has his agreement, which states something different. The fight will happen," Warren said. He then addressed the standoff directly.
"They’re either going to agree to it or not. If they don’t agree to it, then the fight won’t happen."
Warren explained that Fury signed the agreement for the fight back in January. Initially, the bout was set for September but got postponed. A planned warm-up fight for that month was canceled after Joshua suffered a serious accident that took the lives of two close friends. This setback delayed the preparations for the Fury fight.
Warren has maintained that November is still the targeted date, but they are yet to confirm the venue.
Both fighters have been active in recent warm-up matches. Fury won against Mariusz Wach in a quiet fight in Thailand, winning by corner retirement in the seventh round. Joshua had a tougher match against an unknown contender, Kristian Prenga, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Joshua was knocked down twice in the first round but managed to stop Prenga in the second round.
Hearn has emphasized that Joshua’s camp would prefer to make a move to New York financially unattractive for the organizers instead of accepting the venue switch. Warren insists that Fury’s side believes the fight will go ahead regardless of the venue. The two promoters still have a long way to go before resolving this issue, which could delay one of the biggest fights in British boxing for years.
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