The argument over where Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will fight has turned into a dispute between the men promoting it.
Reports on Tuesday said both fighters had signed for November 20 at Madison Square Garden. Eddie Hearn disputed that, maintaining that Joshua’s contract specifies the United Kingdom and that neither he nor Joshua has agreed to a change. He has raised the possibility of legal action over Madison Square Garden being approached without authorization.
BoxingScene reports that the contracts Fury and Joshua signed earlier this year were out of sync on two points: the date and the location. Hearn has questioned why Joshua’s deal would specify the UK and make no mention of Dana White if Zuffa Boxing had brokered the fight.
White, asked about it after a UFC event in Philadelphia, was dismissive.
I stopped listening to Eddie Hearn about three months ago. Is there anybody more full of it than this guy? Completely full of it.
He also drew a line around his own involvement.
Well, I didn’t do his contract.
White has said Zuffa handled the television and venue arrangements, which is a narrower claim than brokering the fight. He has separately said the fight will happen only if Joshua’s side accepts the United States.
Turki Alalshikh, working with Netflix, is reportedly seeking the fight in US primetime. A Friday night in New York would avoid competing with college football on Saturday and the NFL on Sunday.
The sanctioning position is clearer than the venue. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman told Betway Insider that his organization would approve the fight as a final eliminator, with Fury the number one contender, putting the winner in line for a title shot against champion Agit Kabayel.
Joshua is 30-4, and Fury is 36-2-1. Both came through tune-ups last month.
