Contractual Obligation: Fury-Joshua Mega-Fight Set for UK, Hearn Affirms

Leading boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has stated unequivocally that the highly anticipated clash between British boxing titans Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua is contractually bound to occur within the United Kingdom. This assertion comes three months after the initial fight agreement was put in place.

Reports suggest that Saudi boxing authority figure, Turki Alalshikh, expresses a desire to host the bout, which is slated for October or November, at a timing optimized for maximum international viewership. Should Wembley Stadium be the chosen venue, a proposed 2:00 am (0200 GMT) start time would necessitate a special waiver from the London arena's existing curfew regulations. Amidst this, speculation has emerged about the possibility of the fight being held at New York's Madison Square Garden. Nevertheless, Hearn firmly maintains that Anthony Joshua's signed agreement exclusively commits him to a UK-based fight, implying any relocation would demand a complete renegotiation of the existing terms.

Hearn reiterated his position, stating, “There’s a reason we put contracts together. We insisted that this fight was in the UK. I know that AJ will sometimes want to be a little bit of a peacekeeper, but the reality is he said to me, ‘I want the fight in the UK. This is a British fight’. I can’t agree more.”

He acknowledged the collaboration with the Saudi chief, adding, “Turki Alalshikh is our partner and has been an unbelievable supporter of Anthony Joshua… We would have conversations, but the only way the fight doesn’t take place in England is if Anthony Joshua and myself agree to it because we have a legally binding contract that took a long, long time to negotiate. Let’s be honest, this is a fight for the British public.”

These statements from Hearn follow Anthony Joshua’s decisive second-round victory over Kristian Prenga in Jeddah on Saturday. This win maintains Joshua's trajectory towards a face-off with Fury, coming just over a day after the former world heavyweight champion, Fury, defeated Mariusz Wach in Thailand.

For his part, Joshua firmly asserted that Wembley, the iconic 90,000-seat stadium in north London renowned as the home of English football, remains the sole option for his impending bout with Fury. He stated, “When these conversations started, there was no other venue or location that was ever mentioned. It was simple. This is the road map. You fight, come back, fight, and then providing you’re victorious, you’ll be fighting Tyson Fury in the UK, basically Wembley.”

Joshua further emphasized, “I wouldn’t expect it to be at Tottenham or the Principality Stadium, respectfully. It’s just got that history when you think of Wembley.”