Boxing
Tyson Fury ‘waiting for’ Anthony Joshua after signing up for bout – Frank Warren
Frank Warren says Tyson Fury is “waiting for AJ” after signing up for an all-British blockbuster against Anthony Joshua.
Fury suggested on Tuesday that an announcement for the hotly-anticipated showdown was close, taking to Instagram to post a mocked up image of himself facing off with Joshua above the words ‘New York City’.
That is a reference to the expected venue, Madison Square Garden. The Joshua camp had preferred Wembley Stadium, and a home crowd, but Sela, the Saudi state-owned promotional company that is financing the showdown, wants to cross the Atlantic to capture a bigger American audience on Netflix.
Joshua’s promotor, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom, has said an agreement hinges on his client’s net purse but Warren was unequivocal that Fury is already committed.
“It is signed by Tyson. Tyson is signed up for the fight and agreed for the fight,” he told Sky Sports News.
“He’s signed for it. One hundred per cent. We’re just waiting for AJ. I can’t speak for him, he’s with Matchroom.”
While Fury’s recent social media post indicates he is keen on New York – noting “what a venue”, “land of opportunity” and “iconic” – Warren says the location is not important.
“That’s up to the people putting up the money. Tyson just wants to get on,” he said.
“(He says) ‘I don’t care where I fight, if it’s Wembley, New York, the Isle of Wight, the Isle of Man; I’ll fight him anywhere’. He doesn’t care.
Warren also turned on those who have criticised his fighter Moses Itauma, who lost his IBF world heavyweight title challenge after a ninth-round stoppage by Filip Hrgovic at the O2.
Defending his 21-year-old prospect, he said: “They all come with their knives out afterwards. Before the fight there wasn’t anyone who tipped Hrgovic to win, other than Hrgovic’s team.
“No-one said this is too soon. Everyone saying this stuff, they’re all after-timers. He’s very, very disappointed but you can expect that, he really felt it was going to be his fight but it wasn’t to be.
“We can’t change it, all we can do is learn from it. There are lot of things we need to tweak, to put right, and I genuinely believe he will go on to become a world champion and hold the title.”
