Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury’s long-awaited heavyweight showdown is increasingly likely to take place in the United States, with New York’s Madison Square Garden emerging as the preferred venue after Netflix reportedly shifted discussions away from hosting the fight in the United Kingdom.
According to Sports Illustrated reporter Chris Mannix, the contest is “almost certain” to be staged in the US, with the streaming platform considering a Friday night schedule instead of the traditional Saturday slot associated with major British boxing events.
November 20 is among the proposed dates, a timing believed to have been chosen to avoid a clash with American college football broadcasts.
The blockbuster encounter gained fresh momentum after both British heavyweights returned to winning ways last month. Fury, 37, stopped Mariusz Wach in Thailand, while Joshua, 36, recovered from two first-round knockdowns to knock out Kristian Prenga in Jeddah.
The fight is expected to generate a purse exceeding £100 million.
Despite growing expectations of an American venue, Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has maintained that the former world champion’s contract specifies the bout should be held in Britain.
However, Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh is understood to favour staging the contest in the US to maximise its television audience.
“There has been some murmuring of the fight taking place in the US. The contract specifically states that the fight must take place in the UK,” Hearn had told BoxingScene.
The possibility of moving the all-British heavyweight clash to New York has sparked criticism from fans, many of whom believe Wembley Stadium is the natural home for a fight that has been anticipated for more than a decade.
Mannix argued that commercial interests were driving the decision.
“It’s not complicated. It’s money. This is the biggest slap in the face of British boxing fans that you could possibly make,” Mannix said.
Meanwhile, Joshua’s former sparring partner, Richard Riakporhe, disclosed that the two-time heavyweight champion has been preparing intermittently for a Fury showdown over the past five years after previous attempts to arrange the fight fell through.
Although negotiations continue between promoters and broadcasters, no official date or venue has yet been announced.
