Tyson Fury has offered Anthony Joshua 40 per cent of a multi-million-pound purse as talks continue over a heavyweight showdown.
Fury called out his British rival yesterday after insisting he won't wait until the new year to make his return to the ring against Oleksandr Usyk. Joshua responded by accepting the offer in principle, telling his rival he will be ready in December, just over three months after his defeat by Usyk in their rematch.
Fury's promoter Frank Warren has since confirmed he will make an offer for the fight to take place in the UK in November while Fury has outlined the deal in a video posted to social media. "I'm being bombarded with messages about how much I'm going to pay AJ," he said.
"Everyone is saying 80/20, 70/30, 75/25... the actual answer is I've offered him 60/40. Forty per cent of this amazing fight because I want this fight to happen. He doesn't have have any excuses now not to take it. He can't say I've lowballed him by offering him 20 per cent or 30 per cent. I've offered him 40 per cent, take it or leave it. Let us know."
Fury and Joshua were due to meet last summer for the undisputed title but a judge instead ruled Fury had to fight Deontay Wilder for a third time. At that stage, the purse, worth up to £100million each after a bid from Saudi Arabia, was to be split down the middle. But since then, Joshua has lost twice to Usyk while Fury has made successful defences of his world title against first Wilder and then Dillian Whyte.
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Warren earlier insisted the offer to Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn will be a fair one, telling talkSPORT: "We’re sending a written offer across today to them. My son George spoke with Eddie Hearn yesterday. It’s us who have made the approach to give AJ a great opportunity to get himself back into the top level against the world champion Tyson.
"He’s willing to make that voluntary defence, so we’ll send the offer across today and then they’ll have to look at it and decide whether they want to grab this with both hands. The terms that we are going to put forward I think are very, very fair. We’ll put it into writing and then they can make their decision.
"We’re talking about being very, very fair. Tyson is being extremely fair and if and when these come out, if they want to publicise them, you’ll all be shocked. It’s perfect timing I think for AJ to accept it."
