“I genuinely think it will happen. His Excellency, Turki Alalshikh, he will announce that fairly soon. I know there’s been some issues with contracts with Matchroom and AJ; I believe they will iron all those out. In the meantime, Tyson has flown off to the States. He’s in Miami, and he’s preparing for the fight,” said Warren to Sky Sports News.
Fury recently placed the fight in “serious doubt” and accused Joshua of wanting more money after plans moved away from a British stadium. Eddie Hearn has argued that Joshua signed for a UK event and that staging it in America would reduce his earnings after taxes while adding obligations to the contract.
That account undercuts the suggestion that Joshua alone wants to keep the event in Britain. Warren said Fury also prefers Wembley, but the broadcaster and financial backers have chosen America.
“They could refuse to fight. We don’t get the fight we want to see,” Warren said. “I think because of the amount of money involved, I hope I’m wrong, but I think it will go on in America.”
Much depends on how determined Joshua and Hearn are to increase his purse or force a return to the original terms. Hearn has openly rejected the venue change without amendments to Joshua’s contract, added payment and other demands from Alalshikh’s side.
Those public complaints may also have irritated Alalshikh, Sela and TKO Boxing. Joshua has lost the ability to negotiate the way he did during his prime. He has no world title, lost twice to Oleksandr Usyk and was knocked out by Daniel Dubois.
His last fight further weakened his position. Kristian Prenga was brought in for a showcase tune-up, but the second-tier heavyweight dropped Joshua twice in the opening round. Joshua was saved by the bell before returning to stop Prenga in the second.
Hearn can demand more money for moving the event, but the organizers have far less reason to agree to it than they would have had six years ago. The Prenga scare gave them another reason not to treat Joshua like one of the best heavyweights in the division.
This matchup is roughly six years past the point when it carried its greatest sporting value. Fury and Joshua once held every major heavyweight title between them, but repeated negotiations never brought them into the same ring. Usyk eventually beat both men and took away the argument over which one was the best heavyweight of their generation.
Fury has declined as well. He lost twice to Usyk before retiring and returning when another enormous payday became available. Training in Miami does not change what has happened to him or Joshua.
No longer a contest to determine Britain’s best heavyweight or the leading fighter in the division, it is now a nostalgia event for supporters who followed both men during their primes. The fight still makes money because of who Fury and Joshua used to be, not because of what either man has left.
Joshua may have the contractual right to reject America, but using it risks losing a payday that may never return. Hearn can continue pressing for revised terms, although his case weakens if the financial backers decide the price is too high for a fight between two heavyweights who are shot to pieces.
Eddie Hearn: Nobody Can Stop Fury-Joshua Fight
Eddie Hearn insists Anthony Joshua’s fight with Tyson Fury remains legally binding and can only collapse if Sela breaches the signed agreement.
Fury claimed Friday that the fight no longer looked likely, blaming Joshua and Hearn for seeking more money. Hearn has now rejected that account, maintaining that both fighters are signed and Joshua’s side is only waiting for Sela to provide a date.
“The update is quite simple. We’ve signed the contract. We’re waiting for a date. You saw Tyson Fury on the elliptical trainer, shouting and screaming. There’s nothing to shout about. The fight’s done, the fight’s signed,” Hearn told DAZN Boxing. “No one can pull out of the fight. You can’t just pull out of a contract. So, we’re waiting on the date.”
The dispute remains tied to the location. Joshua’s agreement calls for the fight to take place in the UK, while Sela, Netflix and the other parties involved favor New York. Hearn has submitted separate terms that would allow Joshua to accept Madison Square Garden, but he made clear that his preference remains a British stadium.
If Sela rejects those changes, Hearn expects the company to follow the existing contract and deliver the event in the UK.
“If they deliver on the contract, which they have to legally, the fight’s happening in the UK, and we’ll be very, very happy,” Hearn said. “The only way it can stop from happening is if they actually breach the contract.”
That line leaves Sela with two direct options: honor the UK agreement or meet Joshua’s terms for America. Sela can still abandon the event in practice, but doing so may expose the company to a costly legal claim. The possible damages cannot be calculated without seeing the cancellation and breach provisions.
Hearn’s claim is legally forceful but practically overstated. Sela cannot withdraw without risking financial penalties, but it can still refuse to finance the event. A contract creates legal consequences for breaking an agreement; it does not guarantee that a boxing match reaches the ring.
The greater issue may come after the lawyers finish. Joshua has received some of his largest purses through Turki Alalshikh and Sela. Hearn can use the UK clause to secure better terms for New York, but pushing too far risks damaging the relationship that makes paydays of this size possible. Few other backers can offer Joshua comparable money at this stage of his career.
“Just waiting for a date” 👀
Eddie Hearn says Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury is all signed ✍️#LiddardMorello | LIVE NOW on DAZN ▪️ pic.twitter.com/XYICRB6Hok
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 22, 2026
