The build up to the long awaited heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua has hit another unexpected complication, with Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn insisting that a planned first face to face press conference has not yet been confirmed.
Fury and Joshua were expected to appear together at a promotional event on Wednesday following confirmation that their blockbuster all British fight is scheduled for December 11 at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
However, Hearn has now cast doubt over whether the press conference will take place at all as a growing promotional dispute threatens to overshadow the launch of one of the biggest fights in British boxing history.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the Matchroom Boxing chairman said there was currently nothing confirmed regarding next week’s press conference.
Hearn was also clear that he does not expect a Fury Joshua promotional event to take place without representatives from Joshua’s team, saying there “wouldn’t be one without us.”
The uncertainty is particularly surprising because the fight itself had only just been formally announced.
After years of failed negotiations and repeated speculation, confirmation arrived that Fury and Joshua would finally meet at the Principality Stadium on Friday, December 11.
The venue appeared to provide a solution to one of the biggest sticking points during negotiations. Joshua’s side had repeatedly pushed for the contest to remain in Britain, while several alternative venues had been discussed during negotiations.
Cardiff’s retractable roof also makes the Principality Stadium an attractive option for a major winter boxing event.
But within approximately 48 hours of the announcement, attention had shifted away from preparations for the fight and towards another dispute behind the scenes.
Promotional dispute creates fresh uncertainty
The official announcement stated that Saudi financier Turki Alalshikh’s The Ring and Dana White would be involved in staging the contest.
That immediately became a point of disagreement.
Hearn, who has represented Joshua throughout much of his professional career, publicly questioned the extent to which White could be involved in promoting the event.
White responded firmly, insisting that he would be part of the promotion and pointing towards the official announcement as evidence of his role.
The UFC president said he was involved on Alalshikh’s side of the event rather than directly representing either Fury or Joshua.
The disagreement has now spilled into discussions surrounding the first official press conference.
When White was asked whether Wednesday’s event would still happen, he said he did not know.
He also declined to confirm whether he would personally attend, further adding to uncertainty surrounding what had been expected to be the first major promotional moment of the Fury Joshua build up.
Fury claims fight itself could be in danger
The press conference is not the only element of the event currently surrounded by questions.
Fury has also publicly raised doubts about whether the fight will actually happen.
Speaking on his own YouTube channel, Fury dramatically estimated there was only a “one per cent” chance of facing Joshua in December and accused his rival’s camp of not wanting the fight.
Those comments came despite the contest having already been publicly announced for Cardiff.
Fury argued that he had agreed to numerous compromises during negotiations and claimed that previous attempts to arrange a fight with Joshua had repeatedly fallen apart.
However, his comments were not entirely consistent with the idea that the contest is doomed.
Later in the same discussion, Fury acknowledged that signed contracts and reported financial arrangements made him believe the fight could still ultimately take place.
That leaves the situation difficult to interpret, particularly when promotional disagreements and public accusations are unfolding at the same time.
White has also stopped short of guaranteeing that the fight will happen.
After initially reaffirming his involvement in promoting the bout, he later said he was uncertain about its immediate status and suggested that greater clarity should emerge within days.
Years of frustration behind Fury Joshua negotiations
The latest uncertainty will feel familiar to boxing fans who have followed this rivalry.
Fury and Joshua have been linked with a fight for years, including periods when they collectively held every major heavyweight world championship.
At one stage, a meeting between the two appeared capable of deciding the undisputed heavyweight championship.
Yet negotiations repeatedly failed because of contractual issues, mandatory challengers, broadcasting arrangements, venue discussions and changes in both fighters’ careers.
Joshua went on to suffer consecutive defeats against Oleksandr Usyk, while Fury later lost twice to the Ukrainian heavyweight.
Despite those setbacks, interest in an all British meeting never disappeared.
The rivalry between Fury and Joshua stretches back more than a decade, and the combination of their personalities, heavyweight achievements and enormous fanbases means their fight remains commercially significant even without every major world title at stake.
That was why Thursday’s announcement appeared so important.
For the first time, fans had a confirmed date and venue for the fight they had been discussing for years.
Now, just days later, questions are once again being asked.
Hearn remains central to Joshua’s side
Hearn’s latest comments make one point particularly clear: Matchroom does not consider itself removed from the promotional process simply because other major figures are involved in staging the event.
Joshua has spent virtually his entire professional career working with Hearn and Matchroom, from his rise as an Olympic gold medallist through his two reigns as unified heavyweight world champion.
That longstanding relationship explains why Hearn reacted strongly to suggestions that a major Fury Joshua promotional event might move forward without his involvement.
His statement that there would not be a press conference without Joshua’s team indicates that further discussions are required before Wednesday’s proposed event can be treated as certain.
Cardiff showdown still officially scheduled
Despite all the public disagreement, the important distinction is that the December 11 fight has not officially been cancelled.
As things stand, Fury-Joshua remains scheduled for the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
The dispute currently concerns promotional arrangements and the planned press conference, while Fury’s suggestion that the fight could collapse remains his own public assessment rather than an official cancellation announcement.
That distinction matters given the enormous attention surrounding the contest.
Fans have already waited years for confirmation that Fury and Joshua would finally share a professional ring.
The first press conference was supposed to mark the moment when negotiations gave way to the actual fight build up.
Instead, it has become another source of uncertainty.
Whether Wednesday’s event goes ahead should become clearer once the promoters and organizers resolve their current disagreement.
For British boxing, the hope will be that the latest drama remains outside the ring rather than threatening the contest itself.
Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua is still officially scheduled for December 11 in Cardiff but before the two heavyweight rivals can finally stand face to face at a press conference, their respective teams appear to have another negotiation to settle first.
