Frank Warren believes the proposed fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will still take place in Cardiff in December despite widespread concern on Saturday that the bout could be on the brink of collapse yet again. Warren, who has promoted Fury for years, told the Guardian: “It will still happen because the Saudis will sue the arses off them if it doesn’t. The Saudis are putting up the money. They’re the paymasters and so I think it will happen.”
On Saturday morning, Fury had suggested that the fight was in serious jeopardy: “Breaking news. Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn are trying to pull out of this fight. They’re saying they’re not gonna fight now. It’s mainly to do with Eddie Hearn’s ego. He’s making up a million different things and threatening ‘we’re not gonna fight, we’re not gonna fight, we’re not gonna fight’. He’s cost us the biggest fight in boxing history. Clown.”
Hearn, who promotes Joshua, disputes the legitimacy of Dana White’s involvement in the much-hyped showdown between the two British former world heavyweight champions. White, the American combat sports promoter who made his name as the head of the UFC, the mixed martial arts business which he still runs, recently moved into boxing. White and his new company Zuffa Boxing have been named as co-promoters of the Fury-Joshua fight alongside The Ring, which is owned by Saudi Arabia and Turki al-Sheikh, the powerbroker who controls elite boxing.
It had seemed likely for months that the fight, which is being funded by Netflix, would be staged at Madison Square Garden in New York in November. But Hearn and Joshua resisted those plans because of a clause in the original contract which had stipulated that the bout would be held in the UK. They were also concerned about the tax implications if Joshua fought in America and a protracted standoff eventually resulted in the switch to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
In an interview with iFL TV, Hearn stressed that White’s involvement “ain’t happening” despite the American being described as a co-promoter in the Netflix press release on Thursday. Hearn added that “Dana White cannot be involved with this fight promotion. Netflix clearly didn’t get the memo. No one talks to each other.
“Netflix say the fight is in conjunction with Dana White. Now we have to go through that process and deal with it. It’s a little bit annoying but, as I’ve shown through the UK battle that we won, we stand by our contracts.”
The Cardiff location was confirmed on Thursday with an agreement from the city council in the Welsh capital that the fight will begin around 2am on the morning of Saturday 12 December. That time suits Netflix and their dominant home market in the US.
“It will be a late start but that’s no different to fights we had for Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton in the past,” Warren told the Guardian. “At least it’s in the UK. Let’s get on with it. Who cares about all this other rubbish? I don’t care if Dana White is sitting there. Who gives a monkeys?”
Warren is frustrated by Hearn’s latest reaction, which he believes is driven by ego, and he stressed that, like many boxing fans, he is tired of the constant doubts and delays. He is not directly involved in promoting the fight as al-Sheikh and White have led the tortuous negotiations with Hearn.
A proposed contest between Fury and Joshua has been discussed for more than 10 years and subject to multiple postponements and cancellations. The two heavyweights are both long past their fighting prime but this week was meant to have confirmed their agreement to finally meet in the ring.
Fury intimated that alternative opponents to Joshua are now being lined up for him. “Now you’ve got Turki al-Sheikh finding real men who will fight at the drop of a hat,” he said on Saturday. “Eddie Hearn has cost us the biggest fight in boxing history.”
But Fury also sent a specific message to Joshua: “AJ, pull your finger out you little coward. Now I’m coming home. The Gypsy King is coming back to the United Kingdom to thrash you in front of all my fans in Wales, you absolute little nugget, bodybuilding sausage.”
The two fighters are meant to face each other at the first official press conference in London this coming Wednesday evening and Warren believes Fury and Joshua will be there. A spokesperson for Hearn’s Matchroom Sport responded with a wry, and a little weary, “no comment” when contacted by the Guardian.
