Boxing
Chris Walker: Fury-Joshua super-fight at risk after crazy weekend
Garcia vs Benn live on DAZN PPV - September 12
Unless something major is unfolding behind the scenes, or Tyson Fury and Eddie Hearn have suddenly become the planet’s finest actors, it is surely increasingly difficult to believe Anthony Joshua and Fury will finally collide on November 20 in New York City.
At the backend of July, Fury and Joshua failed to impress in separate outings, but the priority was never performance. It was winning.
Although Joshua almost fluffed his lines against Kristian Prenga, victories were secured, and the next stage of the plan was supposed to be the announcement boxing had been waiting for.
Boxing fans are still waiting
Six weeks on, the fight is still not official, and the personalities involved, from the fighters to their teams, look a million miles away from providing boxing fans with the confirmation they have been waiting years to hear.
Over the past weekend, Hearn, revelling in the fact Ireland had come out to give Katie Taylor the farewell her accomplishments during an incredible career deserved, was quickly dragged back into the heavyweight chaos when the subject turned to Joshua and Fury in post-fight interviews.
Before focusing on that, it must be said that the atmosphere generated by Taylor in Dublin should be Exhibit A when presenting the case for Joshua vs Fury to take place at London’s Wembley Stadium rather than being shipped across the Atlantic.
In one interview, Hearn stated he had sent a legal letter to TKO, the parent company of Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing , alleging they approached Joshua with an offer to face Fury in New York City and gave him only 90 minutes to make up his mind.
Complicating this already puzzling matter are the people involved and the original positions taken when talks first began.
Hearn and Joshua have always wanted Wembley, with Joshua’s signed contract understood to imply that the fight must be staged in Britain. Netflix, the broadcaster with a significant say, want New York in November because they believe that location and time zone would extract the maximum value from the event.
Then there is TKO. Bitter rivals of Hearn and Matchroom, they are supposedly not meant to be involved in the fight if you listen to the Matchroom boss, yet here they are allegedly making Joshua a huge offer.
How has a fight between two men surely eager to settle their decade-long feud spiralled into a soap opera with no end in sight?
Fury, visibly frustrated by the tedious and increasingly weary build-up, posted a video on social media on Sunday evening suggesting he was ready to move in a different direction after becoming exasperated with what has unfolded so far with Joshua’s team.
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
“This will only lead me to a fight with Oleksandr Usyk,” said the former world heavyweight champion.
“Oleksandr, you're his [Joshua's] trainer and his sensei, and you know he is weak minded... and that he would never fight the Gypsy King, which you have had the guts to do twice. You got the decisions last time, fair play to you.
“Good luck to you, let's do it again. Let’s run it back in November. The ball is now in your court... do you want to fight me this year, 2026, or are you calling it quits? Let me know because I am now looking for a new opponent.”
Time is running out for Joshua vs Fury
Of course, this is Fury, and his words, for pretty much the entirety of his career, have come with a pinch of salt.
But with everything going on behind the scenes, could the fight now be in serious jeopardy, especially with November 20 rapidly approaching and both fighters needing to lock in training camps and media responsibilities?
Realistically, we are one week away from everything needing to be finalised if Joshua and Fury are to hold court with the world’s media before departing for training duties so they can be properly prepared for their potential November showdown.
Will anyone blink in that time?
Someone will need to if the fight is to go ahead on the proposed date, but following a weekend of unflattering talk between people who should be working together, the fight that looked closer than at any point in the last ten years may now be slipping further into the distance.
Watch Garcia vs. Benn on DAZN
Britian's Conor Benn looks to become a world champion for the first time against US superstar Ryan Garcia on Saturday, September 12.
Watch the fight exclusively in the UK & Ireland and other territories (check for availability) on DAZN PPV or included in our Ultimate Tier subscription.
