Fury-Joshua fight locked to UK by contract, Hearn says venue change needs both sides' approval

A contractual dispute is threatening the Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua heavyweight showdown. Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh wants to move the fight from the UK, either to a 2am start time at Wembley Stadium or to Madison Square Garden in New York, according to ESPN's reporting. But Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn says the deal signed three months ago is legally binding and locks the bout into England.

Here's what the fight organizers are negotiating over: the heavyweight title clash is expected to take place in October or November. Alalshikh is pushing for a time slot and location that would attract a global audience, per ESPN. Wembley Stadium has curfew restrictions, and Alalshikh would need an exemption to stage a 2am UK start, according to reporting.

Hearn laid out the contractual situation plainly. "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," Hearn said, per ESPN. He also noted that Joshua's recent second-round stoppage of Kristian Prenga came little more than 24 hours after Fury stopped Mariusz Wach in Thailand, keeping both heavyweights active and ready.

Joshua himself has been on the record about the venue question. According to ESPN, Joshua says Wembley has been agreed to as the host and that the legacy of both fighters would be damaged if their meeting does not take place in the UK. "When these conversations started, there was no other venue or location that was ever mentioned," Joshua stated, per ESPN. "You fight, come back, fight, and then providing you're victorious, you'll be fighting Tyson Fury in the UK, basically Wembley."

Hearn has framed Alalshikh as an ally in the process. "Turki is our partner and has been an unbelievable supporter of Anthony Joshua," Hearn said, per ESPN. However, Hearn also acknowledged a complicating factor: Joshua's personality may make him willing to compromise. "AJ will sometimes want to be a little bit of a peacekeeper," Hearn noted, suggesting Joshua could be open to renegotiating the venue despite the contractual requirement.

The contractual dispute remains unresolved. Specific penalty clauses, financial terms tied to venue changes, and the exact contractual language defining venue flexibility have not been disclosed by either party.