Tyson Fury has cast fresh doubt over a proposed blockbuster showdown with fellow British heavyweight Anthony Joshua, accusing Joshua and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, of demanding more money and suggesting the fight may no longer take place.
The highly anticipated bout had been expected to happen in November, potentially becoming one of the biggest British boxing events in history. However, uncertainty over its location and financial arrangements has put the agreement under renewed pressure.
Fury, in a series of social media posts, claimed negotiations were stalling because of disagreements over money.
“Doesn’t look like they’re going to sign the fight and it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen all because Eddie Hearn and that want more money,” Fury said.
Joshua and Hearn have reportedly agreed to contractual terms for the fight to take place in the United Kingdom, while Saudi organisers are pushing for the contest to be staged in the United States.
New York’s Madison Square Garden is understood to be the preferred venue of Sela, the Saudi-owned company involved in the event, particularly because the fight is expected to be broadcast on Netflix and would therefore target a large American audience.
Fury and Joshua have separate contracts with Sela.
Hearn said the major issue surrounding a potential move to the United States was the financial impact on Joshua because of different tax arrangements.
According to Hearn, Joshua would receive less money if the fight were staged in America than he would under the existing agreement to hold it in Britain.
“In layman’s terms, by staging the fight in America, Anthony Joshua receives less money than he would do if the fight was in the UK where he was contractually agreed,” Hearn said.
Hearn also disclosed that his team had submitted a list of proposed contractual additions to Sela covering issues including Joshua’s compensation, travel, accreditation and media arrangements.
He said the changes had been approved by Joshua and his lawyer before being forwarded to the Saudi organisers, but no response had yet been received.
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The uncertainty prompted a furious response from Fury, who criticised Joshua and Hearn in a series of social media posts.
Fury accused the pair of being focused on money and challenged Joshua over his willingness to fight him.
He also directed criticism at Hearn, using a series of insults while insisting that he was prepared to move on if the Joshua fight failed to materialise.
“I’ll move on and fight somebody else but just know you never had the guts to fight Tyson Fury, ever,” Fury said.
Hearn has strongly backed Britain as the preferred location for the fight, arguing that the significance of the contest extends beyond the size of the live audience.
He said staging the fight in the UK would benefit British boxing, grassroots amateur clubs and young fans who would have the opportunity to watch two of the country’s biggest boxing stars compete at home.
Hearn also pointed to Joshua’s career achievements in Britain, including his Olympic gold medal at London 2012 and his world championship success.
He argued that Joshua’s history and influence on British boxing made the UK the natural setting for such a major fight.
The negotiations have also been complicated by the emergence of Zuffa Boxing, the promotion fronted by Dana White and jointly owned by Sela and TKO Group Holdings.
White, who became prominent as president of the UFC before moving into boxing, has reportedly been involved in efforts surrounding the proposed Fury-Joshua contest.
Hearn criticised the push to move the fight to the United States, suggesting that TKO and Zuffa had encouraged Saudi organisers to consider America because of the size of the potential US market.
Fury, however, appeared open to White becoming involved in the negotiations.
“White wants to be involved, he can come on my side. He can be a part of me. Get in, Dana. You want to make the fight, you can come on my side,” Fury said.
Hearn also confirmed that Matchroom had held discussions with Sela over outstanding payments relating to previously agreed promotional contracts.
Those matters reportedly involve events across darts, snooker and boxing, as well as international promotional fees and other projects.
However, Hearn stressed that the financial disputes involving Matchroom were separate from the contractual arrangements for the Joshua-Fury fight.
He declined to discuss claims that Joshua was still owed money from his most recent fight against Kristian Prenga, describing the matter as a contractual issue that would be addressed separately.
Sela had not responded to the latest developments at the time of the report.
Joshua and Fury remain two of the biggest names in British boxing and have developed into global crossover stars during their professional careers.
Their long-awaited meeting has generated significant interest among boxing fans, with strong support for the fight to be staged in Britain.
For now, however, the disagreement over venue, compensation and contractual arrangements has left the November showdown hanging in uncertainty.
Fury has made it clear that he is prepared to pursue another opponent if negotiations collapse, leaving fans waiting to see whether the long-discussed Joshua-Fury fight will finally become reality.
