Eddie Hearn has maintained that the highly anticipated heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua must be staged in the United Kingdom, stressing that both camps signed a binding agreement three months ago specifying the venue.
The bout is widely expected to take place in October or November, although Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh is reportedly exploring the possibility of hosting it at a venue that would maximise its global television audience.
One proposal would see the fight held at Wembley Stadium with a 2:00 am (0200 GMT) start to suit international viewers, but such a plan would require an exemption from the stadium’s curfew regulations.
There has also been speculation that New York’s Madison Square Garden could emerge as an alternative venue.
However, Hearn, who promotes Joshua, said the current agreement only covers a UK event and any move abroad would require fresh negotiations.
“There’s a reason we put contracts together,” Hearn said after Joshua’s second-round stoppage of Kristian Prenga in Jeddah on Saturday kept him on course for a Fury showdown, little more than 24 hours after fellow former world heavyweight champion had stopped Mariusz Wach in Thailand.
He added, “We insisted that this fight was in the UK. I know that AJ will sometimes want to be a little bit of a peacekeeper, but the reality is he said to me, ‘I want the fight in the UK. This is a British fight’. I can’t agree more.
“Turki Alalshikh is our partner and has been an unbelievable supporter of Anthony Joshua…We would have conversations, but the only way the fight doesn’t take place in England is if Anthony Joshua and myself agree to it because we have a legally binding contract that took a long, long time to negotiate.
“Let’s be honest this is a fight for the British public.”
Joshua also reaffirmed his preference for Wembley, saying it had always been the intended venue since discussions about the contest began.
“When these conversations started, there was no other venue or location that was ever mentioned,” he said. “It was simple. This is the road map. You fight, come back, fight, and then providing you’re victorious, you’ll be fighting Tyson Fury in the UK, basically Wembley.
“I wouldn’t expect it to be at Tottenham (Hotspur Stadium) or the Principality Stadium (Cardiff) respectfully. It’s just got that history when you think of Wembley.”
