Tyson Fury has claimed Anthony Joshua is ready to walk away from their super-fight, just days after it was officially confirmed. The two British heavyweights finally reached an agreement to meet earlier this week, with the bout scheduled for Cardiff on December 11.
Contract dispute over Dana White
Fury has suggested his old rival, along with promoter Eddie Hearn, are ready to call it off. Hearn has been left furious after UFC supremo Dana White was billed as the fight's promoter, despite signing a contract to the contrary.
White runs Zuffa boxing alongside Turki Al-Sheikh, with both failing in their bid to bring the bout to New York. Hearn insists the contract Joshua signed specifically stipulated that White would have no involvement in proceedings.
Fury's social media outburst
With reports the fight is under threat, Fury took to social media, claiming Hearn's ego could see it cancelled altogether.
"Breaking News: Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn are trying to pull out of this fight they are saying he is not going to fight now," Fury explained. "They're little s*** house cowards, mainly to do with Eddie Hearn's ego, he's making up a million different things and threatening that 'we're not going to fight' you little coward."
"AJ pull your finger out you white flag, yellow-bellied coward. You know now we're coming home, now I'm coming home the Gypsy King is coming back to the United Kingdom to thrash you in front of all my fans in Wales."
Fury went on to suggest that Turki Al-Sheikh is already in the process of finding alternative fighters, should Joshua and Hearn follow through on their threats.
Hearn and White respond
Hearn and White have been at the centre of a very public feud in recent months, with the former insisting that his rival will not be involved in the build up.
Speaking to iFL TV earlier this week, Hearn said: "Dana White cannot be involved with this fight promotion. Netflix clearly didn't get the memo. No one talks to each other. I speak to Sela and Turki: 'No. Dana White is not involved in the fight. You've got a contract that says that. He won't be at the presser ... Blah, blah, blah."
"Then Netflix say the fight is in conjunction with Dana White. Now we have to go through that process and deal with it. It's a little bit annoying but as I've shown through the UK battle that we won, we stand by our contracts."
In response, White told Sky Sports: "Well, I think that the press release speaks for itself. I've been saying since the beginning of the talks of this fight that I was going to be involved in the promotion of it."
On Friday night, Turki Al-Sheikh posted an image on his own social media, alongside Dana White, hinting which side of the row the Saudi chief stands.
