Frank Warren is confident that the Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua showdown will go ahead despite the recent disagreement between Sela and Matchroom Boxing regarding Joshua’s contract.
At the root of the issue is Joshua’s initial contract stipulating the heavyweight contest must happen in the UK.
Chief financier Turki Alalshikh and Netflix, the broadcaster for the event should it occur, remain insistent that it must take place in the US, however, in an effort to maximize the broadcast audience.
“I definitely think [the fight] will happen,” Warren, who stages Moses Itauma-Filip Hrgovic on Saturday, told Sky Sports. “I think [Turki Alalshikh] will announce it fairly soon. I know there’s been some issues with contracts with Matchroom and ‘AJ’. I believe they’ll iron those out.
“In the meantime, Tyson has flown off to the States, he’s in Miami and he’s preparing for the fight.”
The location of the bout, between two British heavyweights who made their names in Britain, continues to stir emotion. For Warren, though, he doesn’t believe the fight’s staging on American soil is anything out of the ordinary.
“I think they both want the fight at Wembley, but it’s out of their hands now. Well, that’s not quite right, they could refuse to fight. But then we don’t get the fight that everyone wants to see.
“I think because the amount of money that they’re getting paid, I believe it will go on.
“I hope I’m wrong, but I think it will go on in America, for obvious reasons… But that’s nothing unusual; you had massive, massive American heroes, in Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, Vegas wanted it, Madison Square Garden wanted it, and it went off to Zaire in 1974. People thought, ‘what’s that all about?’ But it’s become not only an iconic fight, it’s an iconic moment in sport. Then there was Ali with Frazier, third fight, ‘Thrilla in Manila’… So, it’s nothing unusual.
“They are professional boxers; I’m not going to make any excuses about it. Would I like to see it, would all the fans like to see it at Wembley? Of course they would. But they’re in the hands of another broadcaster who wants the fight in America.”
November 20 has been the widely circulated date.
“I think it will be early November,” Warren said.
“There’s a couple of dates being bandied around but, it’s like all these things, until everyone says, ‘great, it’s done’, it’s not done.
“I just hope they manage to resolve that before the weekend.”
