Negotiations for the heavyweight fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua remain stalled over a venue dispute. While both sides signed contracts earlier this year, promoters are locked in a standoff regarding the fight’s location.
UFC CEO Dana White has pushed for New York, but promoter Eddie Hearn recently revealed that Joshua made a massive financial sacrifice by rejecting millions of dollars to keep the fight in the United Kingdom.
Eddie Hearn Says Anthony Joshua Could Have Taken Many Millions More
The financial debate highlights a key distinction between a fighter’s total purse and their actual take-home earnings. A fight at Madison Square Garden in New York would cost AJ a 37% US federal tax and a 14.7% New York state and city tax. To offset these losses, American organizers offered to increase his base purse so he could earn much more money in the United States.
However, Joshua turned down the larger payday, instructing Eddie Hearn to reject the American offers and honor the original United Kingdom contract terms. Hearn detailed the decision on iFL TV, stating, “Anthony Joshua could have taken many millions more to do the fight in America. We want the fight in Britain. The support that we’ve had on social media… has made us double down on our principles on this.”
Hearn also criticized the UFC boss for attempting to move the heavyweight bout to the U.S. against the terms of the signed contract. Hearn noted that while accepting the overseas offer would have generated more revenue, overwhelming fan pressure on social media convinced their team to keep the matchup on domestic soil.
New Location Emerge for Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury
The ongoing geographic dispute now appears close to a resolution. Veteran boxing reporter Dan Rafael leaked the specific timeline from an internal source, reporting that if both camps resolve the remaining contractual details, the fight will target Dec. 11 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
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Organizers considered multiple timelines before choosing Cardiff, noting that “Nov. 28 and Dec. 4 were also dates part of the discussion.” The stadium’s retractable roof will protect the late-night winter event from bad weather.
While this leak provides concrete hope to fans, the date remains unofficial until local authorities formalize event permits and broadcasters lock in the late local start times required for global pay-per-view audiences.
