Tyson Fury, while calling out old rival Oleksandr Usyk, has again accused Anthony Joshua of seeking to avoid the heavyweight showdown they’re both contracted to later in the year.
The problem, however, has long been those contracts.
Joshua signed a contract that stipulated the contest take place in the UK. It is not known which location is on Fury’s contract, but BoxingScene has long understood that it does not specify the UK.
The event’s promoter and chief financier, Sela, alongside the broadcaster, Netflix, are keen for the fight to take place in America. Even though the bout will match two British heavyweights, they believe it will reach a significantly wider audience if it begins at a time favorable to US audiences.
Madison Square Garden in New York was therefore set to host on November 20.
However, Joshua – alongside his promoter Eddie Hearn – is standing firm on the original agreement: The fight must happen in the UK.
Hearn announced on Friday – after London Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed his desire to support plans to stage the contest at Wembley Stadium – that talks were underway to secure the London venue. However, it would mean the stadium’s existing curfew, 11pm, would need to be extended by at least three hours.
Fury, no stranger to making his feeling clear on social media, announced over the weekend that he is no longer expecting to fight Joshua and invited Usyk – who twice defeated Fury on points in 2024 – to fill in.
Usyk, whose training team led by Sergey Lapin now coaches Joshua, relinquished his three heavyweight belts in June and is thought to be close to confirming a bout with fellow veteran, Deontay Wilder.
“‘AJ’ has shit his pants again,” Fury said in relation to the long and winding Joshua negotiations.
“This will only lead me to a fight with Oleksandr Usyk.
“Oleksandr, you’re his [Joshua’s] trainer and his sensei and you know he is weak minded… and that he would never fight the ‘Gypsy King’ which you have had the guts to do twice.
“You got the decisions last time, fair play to you.
“Good luck to you, let’s do it again. Let’s run it back in November. The ball is now in your court… do you want to fight me this year, 2026, or are you calling it quits?
“Let me know because I am now looking for a new opponent.”
Hearn, meanwhile, insisted that talks are still ongoing about bringing Joshua-Fury to the UK.
