Tyson Fury's blockbuster clash with Anthony Joshua could be about to collapse. The long-awaited Battle of Britain was only officially announced on Wednesday, with Fury and Joshua set to meet at the Principality Stadium on December 11 in what promised to be among Great Britain's biggest ever sporting occasions.
However, barely 24 hours later, the bout has been plunged into turmoil after Fury alleged that Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn are now refusing to fight, with an alternative fight being explored. The dramatic turn of events has cast fresh uncertainty over whether the heavyweight clash will actually take place in Cardiff, with a disagreement over the involvement of UFC president Dana White potentially threatening the £150million spectacular.
Fury launches scathing attack
Respected boxing journalist Mike Coppinger of The Ring reports the fight could be cancelled due to "issues", with an alternative bout featuring Terence Crawford and Ryan Garcia being considered. Fury facing unified cruiserweight champion David Benavidez is also understood to be another possibility under discussion.
Then, overnight, Fury launched a scathing attack on Joshua and Hearn in a series of videos posted on Instagram. "Breaking news, AJ and Eddie are trying to pull out of the fight," Fury said. "They're saying they are not going to fight now.
"It's mainly to do with Eddie Hearn's ego. He's making up a million different things."
Fury then turned his attention directly to Joshua, declaring: "AJ, pull your finger out you little white-flagged, yellow-bellied coward."
He further cautioned that Saudi boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh was already exploring other options. "Now you've got Turki Alalshikh finding alternative real men who will fight at the drop of a hat," Fury added.
In a second clip, Fury once again pointed the finger at Hearn's falling-out with White as the primary threat to the bout. "So Eddie Hearn's ego is trying to cost us and all the boxing fans around the world, the fight the whole world has been waiting for over a decade," he said. "And it is all because Eddie doesn't want someone in the building. It's pathetic and childish."
Hearn's position and Cardiff impact
Hearn has maintained that White cannot play any role in the contest due to the contractual terms agreed upon by Joshua. White, who co-runs Zuffa Boxing alongside Alalshikh, has been positioned as the lead promoter for the highly anticipated bout, with Wednesday's official announcement confirming that Alalshikh and White "will collaborate to promote this historic showdown".
Despite this, Hearn was conspicuously absent from that announcement and has publicly stood firm on his position that White cannot be involved. The row has now erupted into the public domain, with Alalshikh seemingly throwing his weight behind White by sharing a photograph of the UFC chief smoking a cigar on social media. Fury also shared a doctored fight poster depicting himself facing Benavidez, appearing to hint at a potential replacement opponent should Joshua withdraw.
The prospect of the Fury-Joshua bout being pulled from Cardiff would deliver a devastating setback to the Welsh capital, which only clinched the contest following a protracted dispute over its venue. Hearn had originally campaigned for Wembley Stadium, while the Saudi financial backers supporting the fight had considered holding it in New York. However, Cardiff's Principality Stadium eventually prevailed, with its retractable roof and flexibility to permit a late-night finish, clinching the event.
The bout is expected to feature a ring walk at approximately 2am to accommodate American viewership for its Netflix broadcast. It was meant to be a magnificent evening for Cardiff, with tens of thousands of supporters anticipated to flock to the Welsh capital for the inaugural encounter between two of Britain's biggest heavyweight stars. Instead, the occasion has been thrown into doubt before the fighters have even confronted each other at a press conference.
Stakes for Cardiff and boxing
For Cardiff, the implications are substantial. The Principality Stadium has previously staged some of the most significant evenings in British boxing, including Anthony Joshua's world heavyweight title fight against Carlos Takam and Joe Calzaghe's famous fight against Mikkel Kessler in 2007. Yet Fury against Joshua had pledged to elevate matters to another level, with the two most recognisable British heavyweights of their generation finally clashing after more than a decade of anticipation.
The bout is believed to be valued at approximately £150m, with Fury and Joshua each set to earn roughly £75m. The occasion will also have attracted a substantial global audience to Cardiff, while delivering a significant boost to the city's hospitality industry. Fury and Joshua are scheduled to attend a pre-fight press conference in London on September 30.
