Fury says fight with Joshua looks unlikely with venue yet to be agreed

What the report says

Tyson Fury has said his long-anticipated bout with fellow British heavyweight Anthony Joshua “doesn’t look like it’s going to happen,” adding new uncertainty to a matchup that had been expected for November. Al Jazeera reported that the fight was planned after both boxers signed an agreement involving Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, but the date and venue have still not been confirmed.

In comments posted on Instagram, Fury blamed Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn for seeking more money and suggested the deal may collapse. Al Jazeera said reports have pointed to different staging ideas, with Joshua and Hearn said to prefer the United Kingdom, while Saudi organisers are reportedly pushing for the United States, with Madison Square Garden in New York mentioned as a leading option.

The proposed contest is one of the most significant in British boxing because it would bring together two major heavyweight names who have long been linked but never met in the ring. Fury, a former two-time world champion, came out of retirement in January after announcing a brief retirement late last year. Joshua is a former two-time unified heavyweight champion.

The latest setback follows earlier attempts to make the fight in 2021, which fell apart after Fury was ordered to face Deontay Wilder in a trilogy bout. For now, the uncertainty leaves open whether the matchup will be salvaged or whether both fighters will pursue other opponents instead.