John Fury has said he will not attend the long-awaited heavyweight clash between his son Tyson and Anthony Joshua, warning that defeat would be too much for the loser to bear. The fight is set for Friday, December 11, at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, with the venue already sold out.
Speaking before the bout was confirmed, John said in the forthcoming BBC series Rivals that he hoped the fight would never happen. He argued that although both boxers are past their prime, they still carry enough power to hurt each other seriously, and the loser would face relentless public mockery.
John Fury's Warning on the Loser
John said: "I hope it never happens. They'll get that much stick, the loser, they won't be able to cope with it. Even though these two guys are not at their best they've still got a lot of power and they could still hurt each other, you know. And you just don't want to see either man walk around after being greats [for people] to laugh at, really."
John, who earlier this year claimed his relationship with Tyson was "completely destroyed", confirmed his absence from the event. He told Playbook Boxing: "I'll be honest with you, no. I won't be attending. Let me tell you, you have more chance of seeing a cow fly than me bothering with it. I don't like the people in it, and I know accidents can happen. I'm not involved, so I don't want to go to the fight."
Matchroom's Excitement Over Home Soil Bout
Matchroom bosses Barry and Eddie Hearn, who represent Joshua, have welcomed the confirmation of the fight, which follows concerns it could be staged in the United States. Barry Hearn said: "People like me, I've been waiting 10 years for this. I don't have another 10 years! I want to see this fight. I would have been devastated if this fight for any reason didn't happen, because why? Why are we in this business? Isn't it to create moments and memories that live on? And I will never forget Joshua against [Wladimir] Klitschko. Fortunately, everyone's seen sense."
Eddie Hearn, speaking in Rivals, which will be available on iPlayer from November 10, said: "Both these guys have played a huge part in changing the sport forever in this country. This is one of the biggest sporting events, if not the biggest, sporting event Britain has ever seen."
Main Event Schedule
While the event gets underway on Friday night, December 11, the main event is scheduled for the early hours of Saturday morning to cater for audiences in the US. Millions worldwide are expected to tune in via Netflix.
