- Joshua and Fury are close to agreeing on a fight in New York
- Madison Square Garden is the leading venue for the bout
- An official date and venue are yet to be confirmed
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury’s long-awaited heavyweight showdown is increasingly likely to take place in the United States, with New York’s Madison Square Garden emerging as the preferred venue after Netflix reportedly shifted negotiations away from hosting the event in the United Kingdom.
According to Sports Illustrated journalist Chris Mannix, Eko Hot Blog gathered that the blockbuster clash is now “almost certain” to be staged in the US. The streaming platform is also said to be considering a Friday night schedule instead of the traditional Saturday slot commonly used for major British boxing events.
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One of the proposed dates for the contest is November 20, a choice reportedly aimed at avoiding a clash with college football broadcasts in the United States.
Both heavyweight stars strengthened the case for the long-awaited meeting after returning to winning form last month. Fury, 37, stopped Mariusz Wach in Thailand, while Joshua, 36, recovered from two first-round knockdowns to stop Kristian Prenga in Jeddah.
The highly anticipated fight is expected to generate a purse exceeding £100 million.
Although Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has maintained that the boxer’s contract requires the fight to be held in the UK, Saudi boxing financier Turki Alalshikh is reportedly pushing for an American venue to maximise television viewership in the US.
Hearn had earlier told BoxingScene that the agreement for the contest specifically states it should take place in Britain.
The possibility of staging the bout at Madison Square Garden has, however, sparked criticism from many boxing fans, who believe a contest of this magnitude should be held at Wembley Stadium rather than outside the UK.
Mannix described the proposed move as a major disappointment for British boxing supporters, arguing that financial considerations were driving the decision.
Meanwhile, Joshua’s former training partner, Richard Riakporhe, disclosed that the former world champion has been preparing for a potential fight with Fury on and off for the past five years after previous negotiations between both camps failed to produce an agreement.
Despite growing confidence that the contest will finally happen, organisers are yet to officially announce the date and venue as discussions between promoters and broadcasters continue.
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