Fury states that he signed his portion of the agreement and remains open to boxing anywhere. He turned up the heat by calling Joshua a “coward” over the holdup, while Joshua’s camp insists the original plan centered firmly on Britain.
“I understand the temptation of going to Madison Square Gardens. I understand the temptation of the money and offer, but the fans are here,” Khan told Sky Sports News. “We’ve been loyal to Tyson and to Anthony. We love them both, and we’d love to see them boxing here in London. My message to the promoters is why don’t you do what Tyson and Anthony want, which is get the fight in London. We’ll get 100,000 people watching them live, plus millions watching across the globe fighting amongst the fans who’ve loved them from the beginning.”
Wembley Attendance Versus American Primetime
Khan’s crowd argument is formidable, yet it addresses only one piece of the economic puzzle. Wembley promises an immense gate of roughly 100,000 attendees alongside the energy of a historic domestic occasion. Madison Square Garden holds far fewer seats, but New York anchors the event squarely inside the lucrative evening schedule across the United States.
The financial rationale for New York looks past ticket receipts. Netflix does not rely on the old formula of selling pay-per-view access to a domestic market at a set local hour. The platform prioritizes overall subscriber volume, with evening viewing numbers across North America commanding major attention.
The dispute exposes just how much control streaming services now wield over major boxing events. British supporters can pack Wembley and generate unmatched live intensity, yet the network and its financial partners may still favor the location that provides the most effective global broadcast slot. The 100,000 spectators on the stadium floor simply do not wield the final say in that calculation.
Tax Exposure Across the Atlantic
Shifting the event to New York introduces financial wrinkles that do not exist at Wembley. Foreign athletes competing in the United States face federal withholding requirements, while New York imposes its own state taxes on income generated within its borders.
The exact bottom line depends on residency arrangements, tax treaty provisions, allowable deductions, and structures such as an IRS Central Withholding Agreement. The real friction point is the guaranteed figure. If either boxer negotiated a net payment based on a contest in the UK, moving across the Atlantic triggers tough negotiations over who covers the resulting tax hit. Sela or the promoters might need to lift the gross purse significantly just to protect what the fighters expect to take home.
New York must therefore generate enough extra commercial value to pay for more than just the venue rental. The location needs to offset a more demanding tax climate for the fighters.
Haunted Ground for Joshua
Madison Square Garden carries distinct emotional baggage for Joshua. The arena hosted his shocking seventh-round defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr. on June 1, 2019, turning his long-awaited American debut into a career disaster.
Walking back into that room for the defining contest of this generation offers a dramatic shot at redemption. At the same time, it places Joshua back inside the building tied to his darkest hour in the ring. Wembley provides familiar ground, massive fan loyalty, and clean memories. Joshua’s desire to stay in London is as much about psychological comfort as it is about national pride.
The venue battle has simultaneously evolved into an exercise in blame management. Fury’s claim that he is happy to fight on any continent lets him adopt the posture of the uncompromised competitor. Publicly calling Joshua a coward directs frustration toward Matchroom, encouraging the public to see Hearn as the party creating unnecessary hurdles.
It works well as public positioning. If Joshua rejects New York, Fury’s team can claim the former champion walked away from the match entirely, sweeping aside the fundamental arguments regarding contracted venues, financial security, and tax burdens.
Hearn’s discussions with City Hall counter that pressure. Matchroom can present its firm stance as a bid to honor earlier understandings and give long-time domestic supporters what they deserve. Khan’s backing reinforces that narrative while protecting London’s local economy.
Filling Wembley generates substantial business for regional hotels, eateries, transport networks, and hospitality workers, as traveling crowds invest far beyond the cost of admission. Khan is fighting to protect that windfall before the spending moves to Manhattan.
Yet City Hall’s power remains limited. Accommodating an American primetime audience from London would require pushing past Wembley’s standard 11 p.m. curfew. A late-night card demands exceptional coordination around transit options, neighborhood impact, and policing, all of which require sign-off from Brent Council and emergency services. Khan can encourage those talks, but he cannot sweep aside local regulations on his own.
A British Era Exported
Fury versus Joshua represents the grand finale of a golden run for British heavyweights. The pair built their massive followings through domestic arenas, terrestrial and satellite television, and a rivalry that simmered for over a decade.
Staging the bout at Madison Square Garden strips the encounter of its natural environment, turning an organic cultural moment into an export tailored for corporate partners abroad. New York brings global glamour, but it cannot match the atmosphere of two British icons settling their business under the Wembley arch.
The irony behind Khan’s public push is glaring: Britain cultivated this rivalry, built the immense public appetite, and produced the stars, yet foreign capital and streaming networks may decide who gets to watch it live. London presents historic crowd energy, civic backing, and the rightful audience, while New York offers Sela a marquee venue and Netflix an ideal timeslot.
Unless Khan and Hearn resolve the curfew questions and resolve the tax burdens, British fight fans may watch their biggest modern event walk straight across the ocean.
