Tyson Fury has hinted that an announcement for his long-awaited heavyweight clash with domestic rival Anthony Joshua is imminent.
A fight between Fury and Joshua has been discussed intermittently for the better part of the last decade, but it appears the two British heavyweights are closer than ever to meeting in the ring. According to reports from American media, contracts have already been signed, with November being touted as the potential month for the showdown. The main sticking point in recent weeks seems to be the venue, with Joshua's team insisting the fight takes place in the UK, as stipulated in his contract. Fury's contract, however, does not contain such a requirement, leading to speculation that the bout could be held in New York.
Despite this, the finalization of the match seemed distant when Zuffa Boxing CEO Dana White, who has long claimed he would promote the event, was asked for an update at the UFC 330 post-fight press conference on Saturday.
“Look, this f***ing saga… we’ll see how it plays out,” White said. “They either want to fight or they don’t. For a fight to happen, both guys have to want to fight. Period. End of story.” “Contracts, this and that… there’s a lot of f***ing money to be made in that fight. Do you want to fight or not? I don’t care. This fight should have happened 10 years ago. Will it happen now? We’ll see.”
Intrigue intensified on Monday when a promotional video for Fury-Joshua aired during a WWE show on Netflix – the streaming giant expected to broadcast the bout if it goes ahead. The video featured both boxers before concluding with the message: “Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua, coming soon.”
On Tuesday, Fury further fueled speculation, taking to social media to suggest an announcement might be close. The former heavyweight champion was training in his home gym on the Isle of Man when he shared a video on Instagram.
“I’ve got some big news coming very, very soon,” Fury said. “It’s all good, a big fight is on the horizon. The one you’ve all been waiting for. It’s going to be announced very soon. Stay tuned.”