Tyson Fury has cast doubt on his long-awaited heavyweight showdown against Anthony Joshua going ahead.
A bout at least a decade in the making finally looked set to take place later this year after Fury beat Mariusz Wach and Joshua rose from the canvas twice to knock out Kristian Prenga last month.
While a date in November seems to have been agreed, where the fight takes place is a sticking point as Fury and Joshua have signed separate contracts with Saudi Arabian-owned organisers Sela.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has repeatedly insisted their deal includes a clause for the fight to be staged in the UK but Sela’s preference is for New York’s famed Madison Square Garden to play host.
A frustrated Fury took to Instagram on Friday and said: “It doesn’t look like they’re going to sign the fight. It doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. All because Eddie Hearn and that want more money.
“All this talk of wanting the fight in England, we want this we want that, it’s only to get more money to go to America.
“I’ve bent over backwards to make this fight happen. First of all it was in England, then it was in Ireland, then it was in America, I said I’ll go anywhere.
“I’m not interested where the fight is, I just want the fight, I’m match fit, I’m ready to rock and roll, baby. If you (Joshua) don’t want to get it on I’ll fight somebody else in November.”
Hearn told iFL on Thursday that he and Joshua are amenable to fighting Stateside in order to attempt to attract a bigger audience with broadcasters Netflix, but only if their conditions are met.
Sela has been sent a list of addenda from Hearn, who revealed an increased payment would need to be made to Joshua in light of the tax ramifications of fighting in America. Other issues centre on travel, accreditation and the media schedule.
“We are being asked to change a contract we signed,” Hearn said on Thursday. “We’ve done nothing wrong. We signed a contract for Anthony Joshua to fight in the UK, we expect that to happen.”
The issue of Dana White’s potential involvement muddies the water even more, with Hearn at loggerheads with the UFC president who fronts Zuffa Boxing, jointly owned by Sela and TKO Group Holdings.
Fury added: “If Dana White wants to be involved, he can come on my side. You want to make the fight? You can come on my side. Be an advisor. Join my team. It does not matter who’s involved.”
