Tyson Fury’s highly anticipated showdown at Madison Square Garden is reportedly proceeding regardless of whether Anthony Joshua agrees to face him. According to Gareth A. Davies, speaking to iFL TV, Fury’s team has confirmed that a fight will be staged for the Gypsy King in New York on the scheduled date, even if Joshua declines the matchup.
“I’ve spoken to Spencer Brown today as well, and he’s saying that even if Anthony Joshua doesn’t fight Tyson Fury, that they’ll go ahead and they’ll have a fight for Tyson Fury in America on that day at Madison Square Garden. They will go ahead, and he will have a fight,” said Gareth to iFL TV.
This development significantly shifts the leverage in negotiations between Joshua and his promoter, Eddie Hearn. Relocating the event from the United Kingdom to the iconic New York venue introduces substantial financial and tax implications. While Joshua has already signed terms for a domestic bout, Hearn is reportedly seeking to ensure his fighter receives the same net purse he would have earned in Britain.
Fury has voiced mounting frustration over the delays, publicly accusing Joshua and Hearn of stalling the agreement in an attempt to extract more money from Saudi promoter Turki Alalshikh. Fury labeled their demands as greed, referencing the various boxing, darts, and snooker deals Joshua and Hearn have already secured under Alalshikh’s patronage.
“It doesn’t look like they’re going to sign the fight, all because Eddie Hearn and [Joshua] want more money. They’ve already had that much money off of Turki [Alalshikh] in the last few years, Eddie and AJ. They’ve had boxing deals, they’ve had darts deals, they’ve had snooker deals. They’ve had everything.
“And yet they’ve got the audacity and cheek of flea-bitten rats to ask for more money from Old Turki. That’s hideous. I’ll tell you what, it’s disgusting. Money-thirsty pieces of s***.”
Beyond financial considerations, some analysts speculate that Hearn may be hesitant to risk Joshua in a high-stakes clash against Fury before securing an additional warm-up bout. A decisive defeat to Fury could severely impact Joshua’s career trajectory, giving the promoter a potential incentive to delay the confrontation.
However, the statement from Fury’s camp suggests that the promotional machinery for the Madison Square Garden event is already in motion. With the door open for an alternative opponent, Joshua’s control over the fight’s timing and location is considerably diminished.
