Former heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury on Friday, 21 August 2026, cast fresh doubt on his proposed fight with former champion Anthony Joshua, saying the long-awaited British heavyweight showdown may not happen amid a dispute over the venue and financial terms.
The proposed November contest has been edging closer to reality in recent weeks, but negotiations have become increasingly complicated after Madison Square Garden in New York emerged as the preferred venue for Saudi-backed organisers and other stakeholders.
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Joshua and his promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, have maintained that the original agreement was for the fight to take place in the United Kingdom.
Hearn has said Joshua is open to a move to the United States if the revised arrangement is financially beneficial, particularly because fighting in New York could affect the money Joshua ultimately receives after tax.
Fury, however, has now intensified the disagreement with a pointed social media statement.
“Doesn’t look like they’re going to sign the fight and it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen all because Eddie Hearn and Anthony Joshua want more money,” Fury said.
The 37-year-old heavyweight then turned his criticism directly towards Joshua and Hearn, calling them “disgusting” and “money-thirsty” before questioning Joshua’s willingness to face him.
“I’ll move on and fight somebody else but just know you never had the guts to fight Tyson Fury, ever,” Fury said.
The comments represent a sharp change in tone after Fury had recently suggested that an announcement for the bout was close.
Earlier this month, Fury said a “big fight” was on the horizon and described it as the contest boxing fans had been waiting for.
The central disagreement concerns where the fight should take place.
The original agreement reportedly stipulated that the contest would be staged in Britain, with Wembley Stadium previously regarded as the leading option.
New York has since gained momentum, with Madison Square Garden emerging as the strongest alternative.
Hearn has argued that moving the fight across the Atlantic cannot simply be treated as a change of scenery because the financial consequences for Joshua would also change.
The promoter has nevertheless left the door open to a compromise. In June, Hearn said he would consider renegotiating the agreement if there was a “beneficial reason” for taking the fight to America.
The venue dispute has been developing for several months. In June, Fury co-promoter Frank Warren said the location had not been settled and that discussions involving all relevant parties would be needed before a final decision could be made.
“I’d love it to take place in the UK,” Warren said at the time, while acknowledging that the United States remained an option.
By August, however, New York had become increasingly prominent in negotiations.
Sky Sports reported earlier this week that talks had entered a “critical week”, with Madison Square Garden emerging as the likely destination while Hearn continued to push for Britain.
Frank Smith, Matchroom’s chief executive, said the priority remained getting the fight over the line.
“We’re all focused on making it happen,” Smith said, while acknowledging that important details were still being discussed.
He added that he remained confident the bout would take place.
The uncertainty is particularly frustrating because both fighters have already completed their respective comeback bouts.
Fury defeated Mariusz Wach by seventh-round stoppage in July, while Joshua recovered from two first-round knockdowns against Kristian Prenga before stopping the Albanian in the second round. Reuters reported that Joshua’s victory kept the long-awaited all-British showdown alive.
Those victories were widely viewed as final preparations for the heavyweight blockbuster, allowing both men to move towards the proposed November meeting without another competitive obstacle.
The fight has been one of boxing’s most anticipated match-ups for years because Fury and Joshua are two of Britain’s most recognisable heavyweight champions of the modern era.
Previous attempts to bring them together have repeatedly failed, adding to the significance of the current negotiations.
The latest disagreement, therefore, is not simply about choosing between Britain and America.
It involves contractual commitments, taxation, promotion, broadcasting interests and the financial terms attached to a change of venue.
Netflix is expected to broadcast the event, while Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh and Saudi-backed organisers have been central to the negotiations.
Madison Square Garden has been discussed as the preferred American venue, although no final venue announcement has been made.
There are also practical considerations surrounding a potential New York staging.
Reports indicate that Matchroom has been seeking assurances over Joshua’s financial position and other contractual arrangements before agreeing to the move.
For British boxing supporters, the location carries an added emotional dimension.
Joshua’s team has repeatedly stressed the significance of bringing the contest home, while organisers see an American venue as an opportunity to maximise the event’s international reach.
The immediate question is whether those competing interests can be reconciled before preparations for a November fight become impossible to sustain.
For now, Fury’s latest intervention has added a fresh layer of uncertainty to a contest that has already spent years waiting to become reality.
Despite Fury’s warning, negotiations have not been formally declared dead, and Hearn has previously maintained that Joshua remains keen to face his British rival.
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The coming days could prove decisive in determining whether the blockbuster finally reaches the ring or becomes another chapter in the long history of a fight that almost happened.
