Eddie Hearn shares the latest on the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua fight contract and gives an update on the venue.
Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has shared some details about the contracts behind the big all-British heavyweight fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Fury and Joshua are expected to face off later this year, but first, Joshua has to beat Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga in a fight set for July 25 in Saudi Arabia. Fury might have a warm-up fight in Dublin on August 1, but his opponent hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Since this fight is such a huge deal, most fans want it to happen at the UK’s biggest sports venue, Wembley Stadium. Hearn says Joshua’s side made it clear that “the fight must take place in the UK.”
The deal also involves Saudi boxing boss Turki Alalshikh, the events company Sela, and Fury. Both fighters have signed contracts saying that Hearn and Queensberry promoter Frank Warren will promote the fight. Big names like Zuffa Boxing and Dana White won’t be part of it, even though Alalshikh owns 60% of the promotion.
Hearn told Sky Sports, “The contract is very clear. It says the fight must be in the UK. We know Turki Alalshikh is paying for the fight, so if he wants to hold it somewhere else, we’ll have a sensible chat and maybe renegotiate the contract. But we all want this fight in the UK because it’s the biggest fight in British boxing history. There’s talk about Las Vegas and other places, but it would be a shame if it wasn’t in Britain.”
He added, “The fight will go wherever Turki wants, but if it’s outside the UK, we’ll need to discuss it with Joshua and Fury, because Fury also wants the fight in the UK.”
Hearn also explained why Wembley is the favorite choice over Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
“There’s no confirmed date yet, but the plan is for the fight to happen in November, so pick your favorite Saturday in November,” he said. “The middle Saturday in November sounds good, but first, we have to get through Joshua’s fight with Prenga and Fury’s fight on August 1.”