The blockbuster heavyweight clash between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury is at risk of collapsing if an agreement is not reached by the end of next week. The two British boxers signed contracts earlier this year to fight at home in the autumn, but broadcast partner Netflix and Saudi Arabian organisers are now pushing for the bout to be moved to the United States.
Venue Standoff Threatens November 20 Fight
The organisers want to stage the fight on Friday, November 20, at Madison Square Garden in New York. However, Joshua, 36, and his promoter Eddie Hearn are insisting the fight takes place at Wembley Stadium in London. The dispute over the venue has put the entire event in jeopardy, with a deadline of the end of next week set for a resolution.
Fury is already in Miami preparing for the showdown, and his promoter Frank Warren has issued a stark warning. "Unless AJ commits by the end of next week, I'm afraid this will slip away like so many of those great fights which never happened," Warren said.
Promoters Clash Over Money and Commitment
Hearn has pushed for a larger financial package to compensate Joshua for surrendering his first-contract right to have the fight take place in England. This demand has drawn a sharp rebuke from Warren, who stressed the importance of making the fight happen.
"At some point everyone has to say the most important thing is that it happens. Not this [expletive deleted] about money," Warren said. "That everyone wants the fight. Does AJ really want it? I don't know. He's been through that tragedy of the car crash which killed two of his closest friends. Only he knows what he wants."
British Fans' Expectations Questioned
Addressing claims that the British public deserves the fight between two of their own, for which they have waited so long, Warren dismissed the notion as nothing new. "There's nothing new about this. Some fans travel to the fight and the majority watch on TV," he said.
Warren drew historical parallels to make his point: "Our Joe Bugner fought Muhammad Ali in Kuala Lumpur. Two of Muhammad Ali's greatest fights were against fellow Americans Joe Frazier and George Foreman in Manila and Zaire. It's always about who's paying the money." He concluded, "In the end you just have to get it on. Or not."
Working Date and Venue Set, But Uncertainty Remains
November 20 at Madison Square Garden is the working date and venue, and Warren added: "I'm still confident it will go ahead in November. Tyson certainly wants it and will be ready to fight. If not AJ, then someone else."
