The long-awaited heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, tentatively agreed upon for November, is now under serious threat. According to available information, the fight may not take place due to sharp disagreements over the location and financial terms. Both boxers have signed contracts with the Saudi organization Sela, however, Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, insists on holding the fight in the UK, while the organizers are keen on staging the show at the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York. This knot of contradictions has become the main reason for the breakdown of negotiations.
Contractual Obligations and the Location Dispute
The key conflict revolves around the venue. On one hand, the Saudi investors from Sela, whose contracts both athletes signed, are interested in holding the fight in the US, specifically at Madison Square Garden. On the other hand, Joshua's team, through Eddie Hearn, was initially targeting a British arena. Hearn reportedly stated that moving the fight to the US is possible only under the condition of additional payments, necessitated by high US taxation and a change in the original deal terms. Thus, even formal agreement on a US location turns into a new round of monetary bargaining.
Eddie Hearn's Demands and the Tax Factor
Joshua's promotion company has put forward a list of conditions necessary for holding the fight. At the center of these demands is compensation for tax expenses and a review of the initial financial parameters of the contract. According to Hearn's logic, the US jurisdiction with its specific tax regime makes the original figures unworkable, so without additional payments, Joshua's team is not ready to finalize the deal. This turns the discussion of location into a purely financial question: the dispute is no longer about where to box, but about who and to what extent will compensate for the costs of moving the show to the US.
Tyson Fury's Sharp Response
Tyson Fury did not wait and on Friday, August 21, published a video address on Instagram in which he accused the opponent's camp of greed and stated that the fight could be called off. 'It looks like they won't sign the contract for the fight. It looks like this won't happen. All because Eddie Hearn and his team want more money,' declared the 'Gypsy King'. According to him, he is ready to agree to any conditions regarding the country of the event, however, if Joshua and his promoter continue to delay signing, he will quickly find another opponent for November. Thus, Fury has effectively issued an ultimatum to his opponents: either finalize the deal, or replace the opponent.
The Dana White and Zuffa Boxing Factor
Additional tension in the situation is introduced by the possible involvement of UFC president Dana White through the company Zuffa Boxing in organizing the show. Fury has already publicly called on White to join his team in the role of an advisor, emphasizing that he does not care who exactly ends up among the organizers — the main thing is that the fight takes place. This statement can be interpreted as a signal: the 'Gypsy King' is ready to change the organizational framework around the fight if the current deadlock with Sela and Hearn is not unlocked.
Contradictory Data
There is an inconsistency in the available sources regarding exactly how Hearn's position on the location is formulated. In one version, Joshua's promoter insists on holding the fight in the UK and considers the US only as an alternative with additional payment. In another presentation, the same Hearn puts forward a list of requirements necessary for holding the fight specifically in New York, i.e., effectively bargaining for the US location, not the British one. The difference in emphasis affects the interpretation: in the first case, the dispute is about the 'home' arena, in the second — about the price of the American show. Until the parties publish a single official document, both interpretations remain in force, and the reader should take this uncertainty into account.
What's Next
The fate of the long-awaited showdown now depends on whether Eddie Hearn and the Saudi investors from Sela can find a compromise on financial terms and location. If negotiations stall, Fury, according to his own statement, will switch to another opponent for November, and the fight with Joshua risks being postponed indefinitely or called off altogether. In the coming days, the key indicator will be the appearance of a signed contract or new public statements from both sides.
