Anthony Joshua is drawing ever closer to finalising terms for a bout with Tyson Fury in New York. Joshua agreed to face his heavyweight rival on the condition that the all-British showdown was staged on home soil. The former two-time world champion has acknowledged that his legacy will be tarnished should the fight be taken abroad.
Broadcasters push for New York venue
However, broadcasters Netflix - and the bout's Saudi Arabian backers - are adamant the clash must be held in the Big Apple. They have provisionally scheduled the fight for 20 November at Madison Square Garden, despite Joshua's objections.
His promoter Eddie Hearn has maintained that no agreement has been struck to shift the venue from London, telling Mirror Fighting: "We are in constant communication with Turki and SELA but as of yet there is no agreement to any variation within the contract."
Hearn concedes deal could be sealed
Yet Hearn has conceded that a deal could be sealed within the coming days. "We don't want to change the venue or the host country," he told About Boxing. "But if they're that desperate, we will find a way to help. It's been going for a month now and they haven't changed their mind; there's not even been a conversation about the UK."
"We are talking through a roadmap of what it might look like to change the deal. If they do all the things we've discussed and agreed in principle, there is a very good chance the fight will take place in America. Its a ballache; it's an arduous process we're going through. There is a way that we would be, not happy, but comfortable with doing the fight in America. Right now there is absolutely no agreement to change the contract we signed. From our side, no announcement is imminent; everything has to be locked down if they want to do this."
Fury hints at imminent announcement
Fury, unconcerned about the fight's location, took to social media to hastily declare that a deal had been finalised, reports the Mirror. "I've got some big news going to be dropped very, very soon," he said. "There is a big fight on the horizon, it's the one you've all been waiting for and it's about to be announced imminently."
