Fury-Joshua fight contractually bound to UK; Alalshikh pushes for Madison Square Garden
Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua heavyweight bout is contractually bound to the UK, signed three months ago and scheduled for October or November. Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh is pushing for Madison Square Garden as an alternative venue, but renegotiation would be required to move the fight abroad.
The Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua heavyweight fight is locked into a UK venue under the current contract, promoter Eddie Hearn stated, and any move abroad requires renegotiation between Joshua and Hearn. The deal was signed three months ago, according to ESPN reporting, with the bout scheduled for October or November.
Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh is pushing for Madison Square Garden in New York as an alternative venue, per ESPN. Alalshikh has also explored staging the fight at a time to attract a global audience, with plans for a 2am UK start at Wembley Stadium, which would require an exemption to the venue's current curfews, according to ESPN reporting.
Hearn declared the contractual constraint directly, stating, per ESPN: "We insisted that this fight was in the UK" and "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."
Joshua reinforced the UK commitment, stating according to ESPN: "When these conversations started, there was no other venue or location that was ever mentioned" and that Wembley has been agreed to host the fight. Joshua stated his belief that the legacy of both himself and Fury would be tarnished if their meeting is not held in the UK.
Both fighters have recently advanced their cases. Joshua defeated Kristian Prenga by second-round stoppage, while Tyson Fury stopped Mariusz Wach in Thailand little more than 24 hours before Joshua's victory, per ESPN reporting. Alalshikh is described as "an unbelievable supporter of Anthony Joshua" and a partner in the fight arrangement, according to ESPN.
The Fury-Joshua fight is locked into a UK venue under the current contract; any move to the United States requires both Joshua and Hearn's agreement to renegotiate.
The contract gives Joshua and Hearn veto power over any venue change, but Alalshikh's commercial pressure and funding create ongoing leverage. Watch whether the parties attempt renegotiation in the weeks ahead, and whether the 2am UK start or other compromises emerge as middle ground.
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