Heavyweight star Tyson Fury has cast fresh doubt over his eagerly awaited showdown with fellow Briton Anthony Joshua, claiming that Joshua and his manager Eddie Hearn are attempting to walk away from the contest.
The bout, scheduled for December 11 at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, was confirmed earlier this week by Saudi power broker Turki Alalshikh alongside streaming giant Netflix. The clash will see two former unified heavyweight kings collide for the WBA “Super” title in what has been billed as one of the most significant domestic matchups in the sport’s recent memory.
In a video shared to social media on Friday night, Fury didn’t hold back. “Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn are trying to pull out of this fight. They’re saying they’re not going to fight now,” he stated bluntly.
Talks over a venue had previously swung between locations in New York and London before organizers ultimately landed on the Welsh capital. The 73,000 seat arena, a regular host for major football and rugby occasions including Champions League and FA Cup finals, gives both camps a fixed target to build their training camps around, assuming the deal survives.
Netflix will carry the broadcast worldwide once the fight goes ahead.
On the form front, Fury, 37, returned to winning ways in July with a victory over veteran Mariusz Wach in Thailand. Joshua, meanwhile, had a scare of his own two months back, climbing off the canvas twice in round one before stopping late replacement Kristian Prenga.
Whether this latest flashpoint derails months of planning or proves to be another chapter in a saga defined by stalled negotiations remains to be seen.
