Fury, Joshua set for heavyweight clash in New York

Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has confirmed that his highly anticipated fight against British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Fury announced the development on Instagram on Wednesday, posting a promotional image of himself and Joshua with the New York skyline in the background.

“What a place NYC, and what a venue MSG, and what a fight Fury vs AJ, the land of opportunity,” Fury wrote.

He later added, “What a weekend away for the lads on the piss in NYC. Iconic! Not long now guys.”

Fury, however, did not disclose a date for the bout, while Joshua and his promoter, Matchroom Boxing, had yet to officially confirm the venue at the time of the report.

The fight is expected to take place in November, with November 20 reportedly being considered as the target date after both fighters signed contracts with Saudi Arabian boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh.

The decision to stage the blockbuster contest in the United States comes after lengthy negotiations, as Joshua’s original agreement stipulated that the fight should be held in the United Kingdom.

Organisers Netflix and Alalshikh reportedly pushed for the bout to take place in the US, prompting Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, to renegotiate the terms.

Hearn had previously said Joshua’s camp preferred Britain but acknowledged the need to reach an agreement that worked for everyone.

“We don’t want to do the fight in the US, but we also understand it has to work for everybody,” Hearn said.

He explained that taxation in the US was a major concern because it could reduce Joshua’s earnings from the fight.

“We’ve set out our position, mainly in concern to the tax situation that will deplete his net purse by going to America, which can be rectified and I think they’re happy to do that,” Hearn added.

“We will need to make a decision this week. They’ve replied, they have our terms. It’s up to them,” he said.

Fury’s announcement has sparked mixed reactions among boxing fans, with some questioning why an all-British heavyweight blockbuster is being staged in New York instead of a major British venue such as Wembley Stadium.

The 38-year-old Fury has won 36 of his professional fights, with his only defeats coming against Oleksandr Usyk in their back-to-back heavyweight encounters in 2024.

He returned to action in July, stopping Poland’s Mariusz Wach in a tune-up bout in Pattaya, Thailand, after previously announcing his retirement following his second loss to Usyk.

Joshua also won his most recent fight, defeating Kristian Prenga in Jeddah on July 25.

The victory helped advance negotiations between the two camps, with Hearn previously indicating that Joshua’s return to the ring cleared the way for discussions to progress.

The Fury-Joshua contest has been years in the making. An earlier attempt to stage the fight collapsed in 2021 after a United States judge ruled that Fury was contractually bound to face Deontay Wilder in a trilogy bout.

After years of negotiations and setbacks, the proposed meeting is now edging closer, with the iconic Madison Square Garden set to host what could become one of the biggest heavyweight fights of the era.

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