BoxRec

Wembley Stadium's local council yet to be approached regarding Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury

With Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury in action this weekend it has been speculated that an announcement regarding the all-British superfight will be made should both win as expected.

The location of the bout has long been up for debate with Wembley Stadium thought to be leading the way to play host if certain conditions can be met. Those conditions, set by Saudi Arabia's financier Turki Alalshikh and streaming giants Netflix, would mean the ring walks starting no earlier than 2am and fans potentially being in the vast stadium, and then trying to get home, past 3am during a time of year that is typically cold in the UK.

However, according to Sky Sports, Brent Council in London is yet to be contacted regarding an extension to the stadium’s existing 11pm curfew with view to the proposed November showdown. The local council is part of the stadium's safety advisory group and would need to review and approve any request to bend existing rules.

Alalshikh, who hopes to organize the bout alongside Netflix, had previously suggested he was awaiting ‘good news’ from the council so the bout – containing the two biggest names in British boxing – can take place in Britain. It is understood that Netflix, too, are keen on the later start to boost the global streaming audience.

It remains unclear if a proposal of any kind has yet been made, however.

It was previously reported that a venue in the US would be secured for the contest, to much criticism from fans.

Boxing Scene understands that the contract Joshua, 29-4 (26 KOs), has signed stipulates that the fight must land in the UK.

I think [fight with Fury] should be in the UK,” Joshua this week told TalkSport.

"We are both from there, and it would be good for the fans that have been supporting us since our debuts.

"But I let my team deal with that kind of stuff."

Tyson Fury nor Anthony Joshua belong in Hall of Fame, says Carl Froch

Outspoken former super middleweight champion Carl Froch doesn’t believe that Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua should one day be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Froch, 49, retired from boxing in 2014 after knocking out George Groves in the eighth round of their rematch at Wembley Stadium. In 2023, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame himself.

Froch – known as “The Cobra” – spent his entire 33-2 (24 KOs) career under the guidance of trainer Robert McCracken, the same trainer who Joshua opted to leave in 2021 following the first of two losses to Oleksandr Usyk.

It was under McCracken, however, when Joshua was at his best. He twice held each of the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles over a five-year period but Froch doesn’t believe that should be enough for “AJ” to enter the hallowed walls in Canastota.

“At the time [of being champion], AJ fought most of the people who were mandatory for his belts,” Froch told Betpack.

“He beat Wladimir Klitschko and fought the likes of Alexander Povetkin, so he has got names on his record. But he never fought Deontay Wilder, and he never fought Luis Ortiz when Ortiz was a dangerous name.

Then you look at the way he [twice] lost to Usyk, the way he got badly knocked out by Daniel Dubois and the defeat to Andy Ruiz, who hasn’t got many other significant wins on his record. Unfortunately, Joshua’s record eliminates him from being in the Hall of Fame. It’s not me simply saying he doesn’t deserve it or he isn’t good enough. Just look down the record. There are too many negatives, and I think that will eliminate him from being selected for the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

“Eddie Hearn once said Joshua should be in the Hall of Fame because of what he’s done for boxing. I disagree. The International Boxing Hall of Fame should be based on results, who you beat and who beat you. Yes, Joshua is a two-time heavyweight champion, but he’s also been flattened a few times. You have to be realistic. I don’t think he gets in.”

Fury, too, has twice held major belts in the banner division. His title triumphs were impressive, too, as he ended the long reign of Klitschko in 2015 and thrashed Wilder in a 2020 rematch. Not good enough, says Froch.

“Fury hasn’t got enough names on his record either. His biggest wins are Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder, and he has now lost twice to Usyk. Where are all the other significant wins on Tyson Fury’s career that put green ticks in all the boxes? There aren’t any.

"So, unfortunately, they won’t be joining 'The Cobra' anytime soon, or Roberto Durán, Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali, Roy Jones Jnr, Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather and the other names in the upper echelons of boxing.”

Joshua and Fury are expected to meet later in the year if they beat Kristian Prenga and Mariusz Wach respectively this weekend. Should that fight occur, the victor would strengthen their legacy.

Froch doesn’t necessarily agree, however. He is also taking issue with the reported plan to push back the start time of Joshua-Fury to the early hours of the morning so it can draw a wide global audience.

“Why are we accommodating American television for a British superfight?” Froch continued. “I’ve got reservations about whether it’s even a superfight now anyway, because there are no world titles at stake, they’ve both been beaten and they’re both past their best.

“It is a fight I’m going to watch and, like Eddie Hearn said, when these two come together you get interested and excited to a degree. But come on, I’m not that excited. If those two didn’t fight, I wouldn’t care less. Six or seven years ago, it was probably the biggest fight in British boxing history. Now they’re both past their best and it’s a money grab. It’s probably third or fourth on the list of the biggest British fights.

"I also wouldn’t hold [London mayor] Sadiq Khan responsible if it doesn’t happen, because logistically, with Transport for London, the police and British Transport Police, they’ve all got to look at nearly 80,000 fans leaving the stadium at four in the morning and ask where they’re all going to go. It’s a potential fornicating nightmare, isn’t it?”

Both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua 'are hall of fame fighters, and I would actually rate their wins over Wladimir Kiltschko better than any individual win of Carl Froch'.

Note: Wladimir Kiltschko is a greater fighter than Mikkel Kessler, Jean Pascal, and Lucian Bute 'those are all Froch's greatest wins'.

Carl Froch's best individual win is Mikkel Kessler 'and version of Kessler not quite at his best. It was and is still a great win, but not quite at the same level of Joe Calzaghe's win over Mikkel Kessler'.

The fact of the matter is. When it really mattered, Carl Froch lost his biggest fights in terms of greatness. But then he fortified his resume will a mass of top level wins, but none of those fighters were all-time great fighters'.

Froch lost vs. Mikkel Kessler 1, and then he lost vs. Andre Ward 'in the super six final'.

Carl Froch has zero wins over all-time great fighters 'whereas, whether people like to admit it or not. Both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua do'.

So overall all three fighters, are hall of fame fighters 'Carl Froch, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. And Froch and Joshua both have a overall better resumes than Tyson Fury in terms of consistent quality and top level fighters, which they have won against' etc.

Just looked up some "highlights" of Fury vs. Wach.
Sometimes I couldn't tell them apart, but Fury looked pretty bad.

He's always been inconsistent, but considering the layoff and his age, that's not very promising.
If AJ doesn't get knocked out in his next fight, I'm gonna bet on him.

Tyson Fury ‘100 per cent’ confident of beating Anthony Joshua after rounds banked against Mariusz Wach

Tyson Fury immediately turned his attention to Anthony Joshua after stopping Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand.

Fury returned to the ring in unusual surroundings on Friday night, stopping the 46-year-old Wach after seven rounds at Pattaya's Max Muaythai Stadium. Fury was far from his best, and seemed to go through the motions against his veteran opponent. The contest served as a tune-up ahead of the proposed clash with Joshua later this year, but if Joshua was in attendance he would have surely been licking his lips.

Despite this, Fury saw the seven rounds banked against Wach as a positive ahead of what will surely be a much tougher assignment later this year.

“It went really well,” Fury told Boxing Scene in the carpark following his win. “I got a good seven rounds in, plenty of punches landed, entertained everybody, had a good time. I got out of there in one piece and I’ll go home to my family. Thank you everybody.”

Asked whether Joshua was now next, Fury left little doubt.

“100 per cent, hopefully,” he said. “Let's get it on.”

Joshua is due to return to action against Kristian Prenga on Saturday, though Fury revealed he has no plans to travel to Saudi Arabia to watch his long-time rival.

“No, I'm going to go straight home,” Fury said.

Fury also backed Joshua to overcome Prenga, comparing the 20-1 (20 KOs) Albanian to Daniel Baer who was stopped in the opener by Simon Ibekwe before Fury left the arena.

“Yeah [Joshua will win],” he said. “Prenga is probably like that fella who just fought at the end there.”

And when asked if he was confident of defeating Joshua should the fight finally be made, Fury's response was emphatic.

“100 per cent, please,” he said before jumping in a car headed to the airport. Will his flight be heading to his wife Paris in the Isle of Man, or to Joshua in Jeddah. We will find out tomorrow.

Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua: Proposed heavyweight super fight moves step closer to being in USA over UK

Turki Alalshikh, who is organising the all-British bout between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, now prefers the clash to be in the USA; Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn says the contract they signed was for a fight in the UK

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua's long-awaited heavyweight showdown looks increasingly likely to be in America rather than the UK.

Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed that Turki Alalshikh, who is organising the all-British bout, now prefers the clash to be in the USA.

Alalshikh previously said that he wants the fight to take place at a time that works for a global audience and would hold talks with the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, over a later-than-usual start time.

However, Sky Sports News revealed earlier in the week that Brent Council are yet to be contacted about extending the curfew at Wembley Stadium to allow a 2am ring walk.

Speaking to DAZN ahead of Joshua's warm-up fight with Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, Hearn said: "We've been told in the last 24 hours that [a fight in America] is what they want.

"That doesn't tally up with the contract that we signed. Until we're happy, we expect every point of that contract to be followed. I feel like this fight should be taking place in the UK.

"Anthony Joshua insisted that the contract stated that the fight must be in the UK.

"If they want to change the contract, then we have to renegotiate the contract. Which, by the way, is not a problem. But it's a conversation we have to have."

Fury: I got through my test, what about AJ?

Fury remains unconvinced that Joshua will agree to the fight and questioned whether his rival has the "guts" to face him.

The 37-year-old, speaking after his seventh-round stoppage of Mariusz Wach in a non-televised bout in Thailand on Friday, referenced Joshua opting not to get in the ring with him after his victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in April.

Fury said: "I got through my test. Let's see if [Joshua] gets through his test. The biggest test of it all is how big his balls are. I think he's a big s***house.

"In Tottenham in front of 70,000 people, he never had the guts to get in the ring and face me. Let's see if he ever does. I'm not convinced.

"I'll regroup. Hopefully the next big fight is signed next week, and we head wherever we're going to head.

"Is it gonna be in Vegas? Is it gonna be in New York? Is it gonna be in Ireland? Is it gonna be in London? Who knows, Belfast maybe? It might even be here in Pattaya, Thailand!"

Joshua's chin is kaput

I watched what I could of the Fury fight this weekend. After watching that, thought that AJ was in with a decent chance of beating Fury.
That completely changed last night. AJ's chin is completely shot. Knocked into next week with an uppercut in the first 15 seconds... A punch that Fury is very good at throwing.

If this fight happens, Fury absolutely batters him. AJ will be too scared to engage, Fury will pick him off for a few rounds. As soon as AJ goes to attack, he'll get mullered.

Fury KO 5.

This is the danger of letting fights marinate for too long.
I was kind of hoping for a Prenga KO just so they’d learn a lesson.

Both of them look washed now.

This has become the Camacho/Sugar Ray Leonard of the modern HW division.

Lenny Cravats wrote: ↑26 Jul 2026, 05:47 I watched what I could of the Fury fight this weekend. After watching that, thought that AJ was in with a decent chance of beating Fury.
That completely changed last night. AJ's chin is completely shot. Knocked into next week with an uppercut in the first 15 seconds... A punch that Fury is very good at throwing.

If this fight happens, Fury absolutely batters him. AJ will be too scared to engage, Fury will pick him off for a few rounds. As soon as AJ goes to attack, he'll get mullered.

Fury KO 5.

Kristian Prenga for all we know? Could hit with the power of Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley 'I disagree; I don't think Anthony Joshua has terrible punch resistance it has always been comparable to Tyson Fury's'.

Tyson Fury seems to be the only Heavyweight fighter 'to receive credit for getting up off the deck. The fact is? Anthony Joshua was knocked down, he GOT up and then WON the fight via knocked out in the very next round'.

Note: This is the heavyweight divisions, I know it is cliche 'but when a Super Heavyweight fighter turns their punches over with speed and lands. Then it is going to cause damage'.

Daniel Dubois was knocked out by a jab vs. Oleksandr Uysk 'and he was bounced around the ring vs. Kevin Lerena'.

Tyson Fury is not stylistically the most difficult fight for Anthony Joshua 'Fury's game is not his punching power, and his offensive capabilities are completely overrated when compared to Joshua'.

Tyson Fury has just taken 7 rounds 'to dispatch of Mariusz Wach. A fighter miles outside of his peak'.

I still would not be surprised of Tyson Fury 'manufactures a way to get out of the fight. EVEN after Anthony Joshua's latest performance'.

I will tell you one thing? Tyson Fury will be decked if he ever fights Anthony Joshua 'and he will be down for the count of 10' etc.

Fury v Joshua closer but hurdles still to clear

The long-awaited heavyweight fight between Britons Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua has moved a step closer after they won their respective warm-up fights - but not without plenty of drama.

Fury was first into the ring on Friday, stopping 46-year-old Mariusz Wach in seven rounds in Pattaya, Thailand.

Joshua's night in Saudi Arabia was a different story.

Facing little-known Albanian Kristian Prenga, Joshua was expected to ease through his comeback. Instead, he was dropped after just 20 seconds and again in the opening round before producing a stunning turnaround to stop Prenga in the second.

With both men winning and contracts already agreed, the biggest fight in British boxing remains on course. Reports have suggested purses of around $100million (£75m) each, so there is every incentive to get the deal over the line.

But there are still a few hurdles to clear.

'It's done' - Hearn says Fury-AJ will happen

Many expected Fury to fly straight from Thailand to Saudi Arabia for a face-off inside the ring after a Joshua win.

Remarkably, the only time they have ever shared a ring was during a sparring session at Finchley Amateur Boxing Club in 2010.

After beating Wach, Fury insisted he would not travel to Jeddah and, despite rumours throughout Saturday, he kept his word. Reporters even briefly thought he had arrived when a Fury lookalike stepped out of a car outside the arena.

But Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn insisted a fight with Fury will happen next.

"It's done. We signed a legally binding contract about three months ago," Matchroom's Hearn said.

Netflix is expected to broadcast the fight globally to more than 325 million subscribers but the biggest unanswered question is when and where.

New York in November the frontrunner

New York's Madison Square Garden in November is understood to be among the leading options as Saudi organisers look to maximise the event's appeal in America.

British fans, understandably, want the fight in the United Kingdom - specifically at Wembley Stadium.

Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh has previously suggested if the bout were staged in Britain, it would have to start in the early hours of the morning to cater for the lucrative American television audience.

It would not be unprecedented. Ricky Hatton's fight against Kostya Tszyu in Manchester in 2005 began at about 02:00 BST while Joe Calzaghe's victories over Jeff Lacy and Mikkel Kessler also started after midnight.

Cardiff's Principality Stadium would welcome the opportunity to host Fury-Joshua, but the fight would have to be held on either Saturday, 31 October or Saturday, 28 November. The three Saturdays in between all host Wales rugby internationals.

Wembley Stadium's curfew is 23:00, although London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Brent Council have indicated they would be open to discussions about extending it for this major sporting event.

However, sources close to the mayor told BBC Sport on Friday organisers had not been in touch.

But AJ wants it at Wembley

Joshua and Fury have signed separate contracts with Alalshikh, who is financing the fight.

Hearn, however, insists their agreement is for the bout to take place in Britain.

"We insisted that this fight was in the UK," Hearn said. "I know that AJ will sometimes want to be a little bit of a peacekeeper but the reality is he said to me, 'I want the fight in the UK. This is a British fight'. I can't agree more.

"We would have conversations but the only way the fight doesn't take place in England is if Anthony Joshua and myself agree to it because we have a legally binding contract."

Joshua also made his preference clear after his win.

"I wouldn't expect it to be at Tottenham [Hotspur Stadium] or the [Cardiff] Principality Stadium, respectfully," he said. "It's just got that history when you think of Wembley."

Hearn says if Saudi organisers decide they want to stage the fight in America instead, Joshua's contract would need to be renegotiated.

Is Fury v Joshua still a huge fight?

From a purist's perspective, the fight comes years too late.

Fans wanted Fury and Joshua to meet when both were world champions and at the peak of their powers rather than after years of negotiations, failed talks and defeats.

Other super-fights have also arrived later than many hoped, including Floyd Mayweather's victory over Manny Pacquiao in 2015 and, closer to home, Amir Khan's defeat by Kell Brook in 2022.

Commercially, though, Fury v Joshua remains enormous.

Joshua's knockout of Jake Paul introduced him to a wider American audience beyond traditional boxing fans, while Fury has built a huge following through his appearances on WWE, trilogy with Deontay Wilder and his Netflix series.

Fury and Joshua are two of Britain's biggest sporting personalities. For casual fans around the world, that is reason enough to tune in and to sell out any stadium or arena.

Who is the favourite to win?

Joshua's comeback against Prenga was one of the bravest performances of his career but it also highlighted familiar vulnerabilities. Dropped twice by a heavyweight competing at world level for the first time, he somehow recovered to produce a dramatic stoppage victory.

It also came under extraordinary circumstances.

Joshua was fighting for the first time since surviving the car crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of his close friends Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele. The emotional burden was obvious afterwards as he struggled to speak during his post-fight interview.

His recent results and performances do raise eyebrows. Since the end of 2023, Joshua has beaten Otto Wallin, former UFC champion Francis Ngannou, YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul and the unknown Prenga. The last time he faced a top-level operation, he suffered a damaging knockout defeat by Daniel Dubois.

Fury has not looked untouchable either. Before comfortably beating Wach, he outpointed Arslanbek Makhmudov in April but had previously lost back-to-back world title fights to Oleksandr Usyk. His split-decision win over Ngannou in 2023 also came after he was knocked down by the MMA star.

Perhaps the question is no longer who is the better heavyweight but who has declined the least.

Joshua still possesses knockout power but Fury's movement, ring IQ and adaptability make him the favourite.

Eddie Hearn says Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua fight can only be held abroad if terms renegotiated

Eddie Hearn says the Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua showdown must take place in the UK under the terms of the fight deal signed three months ago.

Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh wants to stage the fight - which is expected to take place in October or November - at a time that would attract a global audience.

Alalshikh would need to gain an exemption to Wembley Stadium's current curfews to go ahead with his plans for a 2am UK start, and it has now emerged Madison Square Garden in New York is the powerbroker's preferred choice for the all-British fight.

But Joshua's promoter Hearn insists they have signed up for a UK fight only and the contract would have to be renegotiated to move elsewhere.

"There's a reason we put contracts together," Hearn said after Joshua's second-round stoppage of Kristian Prenga kept him on course for a Fury showdown, little more than 24 hours after his British rival had stopped Mariusz Wach in Thailand.

"There's a reason that AJ employs lawyers. There's a reason me and him sit down and have endless conversations to make sure that every move is correct.

"We insisted that this fight was in the UK. I know that AJ will sometimes want to be a little bit of a peacekeeper, but the reality is he said to me, 'I want the fight in the UK. This is a British fight'. I can't agree more.

"Turki Alalshikh is our partner and has been an unbelievable supporter of Anthony Joshua. It's not like as if it was allegedly (Fury's promoter) back in the day and we would have made this fight and I'd have said, 'Spin on it'.

"We would have conversations, but the only way the fight doesn't take place in England is if Anthony Joshua and myself agree to it because we have a legally binding contract that took a long, long time to negotiate

"Let's be honest this is a fight for the British public. The MSG, great venue, but this is something that will be remembered across all generations forever.

"There's nothing I need to do to make the fight. The fight's signed. The fight's made. So, we'll see what the next couple of weeks bring."

Joshua believes the legacy of both himself and Fury would be tarnished if their long-awaited meeting is not held in the UK - and the two-time former world champion says Wembley has been agreed to host it.

He said: "When these conversations started, there was no other venue or location that was ever mentioned.

"It was simple. This is the road map. You fight, come back, fight, and then providing you're victorious, you'll be fighting Tyson Fury in the UK, basically Wembley.

"I wouldn't expect it to be at Tottenham (Hotspur Stadium) or the Principality Stadium (Cardiff) respectfully. It's just got that history when you think of Wembley.

"So I'm not too sure where all this conversation started of different locations, new this that and the other."

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua could both retire after they finally fight this year, says heavyweight rival Dillian Whyte

Anthony Joshua resumed his career too early says old rival Dillian Whyte after the former world heavyweight champion suffered a massive scare against Kristian Prenga; Joshua was floored twice before stopping Prenga in the second round; Fury and Joshua are set to finally fight in November

Dillian Whyte believes Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua could both retire after their long-awaited fight this year.

Fury and Joshua are expected to finally share the ring in November after they both emerged victorious from their warm-up fights, with America now the likely location for the British heavyweight blockbuster.

But the Brit rivals appear to be in the closing chapters of their careers as Joshua climbed off the canvas twice before stopping Kristian Prenga in the second round, while Fury selected the 46-year-old Mariusz Wach as his opponent before securing a seventh-round stoppage.

Whyte, who has fought both Fury and Joshua, told Sky Sports: "It's hard to say [who will win] because the boxing pugilists will pick Tyson Fury and the hardcore boxing fans will pick Anthony Joshua because AJ's got power and Tyson Fury's feet have slowed down, so I'll say Fury on points [or] AJ by stoppage.

"Potentially, both men could hang up their gloves after the fight. When it's done, they might say, listen, we've done everything, Tyson's won all the belts, AJ's been a unified world champion, they might just say, yeah, that's it.

"I think they might both hang up their gloves after and then it'd be a sad day for boxing."

Joshua returned to the ring for the first time since he was injured in a car crash in December that claimed the lives of his two close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele.

After Joshua was floored in the first 20 seconds, Whyte has suggested this was a sign that his old rival was not yet in the right mindset to resume his career.

"Prenga might not have been the best boxer in the world, but he could punch," said Whyte.

"In boxing, anybody can get knocked down. I've been knocked down multiple times in different fights.

"It's kind of hard to say if his punch resistance is gone, you know, I think it's more mental than punch resistance.

"I think he's in a place mentally where he's been through a lot.

"Listen, AJ is not my friend, we don't like each other per se, so you know, I'm just being honest.

"I think it's that it was the nervousness and mentally not being ready for the kind of fight that Prenga brought to him in the early rounds."

What next for Whyte?

Following a loss to Moses Itauma last summer, Whyte is back in training and hopes to sharpen his skills in a comeback bout before targeting a big name.

"I'd love to fight Derek Chisora, Andy Ruiz, Miller," he said. "These are guys from my era that I didn't fight and I'd love to fight them.

"I understand I'm coming off a first-round defeat.

"I'm not deluded - I understand that I need a fight to get myself back into contention, so whoever really.

"I just want to just get a fight back and just get back in the ring, shake some ring rust and just get my groove on again and then fight whoever there is to fight."

Dave Allen makes new KO prediction for Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury mega fight

Although, both men underwhelmed over the weekend, with Fury looking slow as he took seven rounds to halt Mariusz Wach, whilst Joshua was dropped twice by Kristian Prenga, before knocking the Albanian out in round two.



On his YouTube channel, Allen maintained that ‘AJ’ is still capable of stopping Fury, with the declining legs of ‘The Gypsy King’ potentially providing him with the opportunity to dispatch of his old foe.

“If Joshua hits him I think that he will knock him out, especially at nearly 40, after all the hard fights that he [Fury] has had. That result wouldn’t surprise me in any way, AJ knocking out Fury, I wouldn’t be surprised because Fury has slowed down a little bit.

“He might have slowed down enough for AJ to lay one on him, which I don’t think he would have, years ago.”

However, Allen admitted that he still favours Fury in the fight due to the lack of punch resistance shown by Joshua on Saturday night.

“If I were to have one horse in the race, I think that Fury is the safer pick out of the two. I think that he has more durability left and I think that what he does, and what he is good at, lasts longer.

“I think that Fury is nearer to the best [version of] Fury, than Joshua is to the best Joshua. I think that Joshua has slid further away from his best than Fury has, that is all it comes down to. I think that Fury has more left and I think that Fury will win.

“I used to think that Fury would win on points, I always had him winning on points but now, the punch resistance [of Joshua] has really worried me. I watched it and I was a bit worried by it, his confidence didn’t look the same and these are all understandable things.

“I am going to go for Fury stoppage because he has got more left.”

Dana White blasts tune-up concept after Fury-Joshua survives scare

Zuffa Boxing and UFC front man Dana White is not a fan of having warm-up fights before the big one.

Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury engaged in tune-up tilts last weekend while their long-planned slugfest stood in the balance.

Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs) took care of business by stopping Mariusz Wach on July 24 in Thailand in what was billed as a charity event. Fury got seven more rounds under his belt after the 12 rounds he banked in April against Arslanbek Makhmudov following 16 months away from the sport.

Joshua (30-4, 26 KOs) nearly crumbled during his clash against Kristian Prenga the following day in Saudi Arabia, his first outing since surviving a fatal car crash in December. Joshua was dropped 20 seconds into the fight and survived another knockdown in the first round before bouncing back, brutally stopping Prenga in the second.

And just like that, the sport survived a serious scare, and the super fight was salvaged.

"I was somewhere in New York, and I got the text that he had been down twice in the first round," White told Oscar Willis of The Mac Life. "I'm not a big believer in tune-up fights. What does a tune-up fight even mean? It's just so old school and stupid. It means, 'Let's get a quick money grab before the big payday.' And they're dangerous. It is what it is."

White and company can now breathe a sigh of relief and move on to the big business that is the all-British battle between former heavyweight champions.

The plan is for the fight to take place in November. One of the main sticking points that remains is whether it will be staged in the United Kingdom or the United States.

Joshua's promoter and Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn maintains that the clash is contractually set to take place in the UK, while other principals are open to exploring untapped avenues and revenue possibilities.

"I think you can see publicly, lots of games being played, lots of ego involved, and things like that," White said. "The answer to the question is, you go wherever the money is. That's the answer."

"I think you can see where all the delay is coming from. I don't think it's a big secret. It's all playing out in front. I don't care. Listen, when it's time, I go in, and I do what I do, and all this other bulls--- that goes on, I don't have to deal with any of this stuff."

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑03 Aug 2026, 04:04 Dana White blasts tune-up concept after Fury-Joshua survives scare

Zuffa Boxing and UFC front man Dana White is not a fan of having warm-up fights before the big one.

Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury engaged in tune-up tilts last weekend while their long-planned slugfest stood in the balance.

Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs) took care of business by stopping Mariusz Wach on July 24 in Thailand in what was billed as a charity event. Fury got seven more rounds under his belt after the 12 rounds he banked in April against Arslanbek Makhmudov following 16 months away from the sport.

Joshua (30-4, 26 KOs) nearly crumbled during his clash against Kristian Prenga the following day in Saudi Arabia, his first outing since surviving a fatal car crash in December. Joshua was dropped 20 seconds into the fight and survived another knockdown in the first round before bouncing back, brutally stopping Prenga in the second.

And just like that, the sport survived a serious scare, and the super fight was salvaged.

"I was somewhere in New York, and I got the text that he had been down twice in the first round," White told Oscar Willis of The Mac Life. "I'm not a big believer in tune-up fights. What does a tune-up fight even mean? It's just so old school and stupid. It means, 'Let's get a quick money grab before the big payday.' And they're dangerous. It is what it is."

White and company can now breathe a sigh of relief and move on to the big business that is the all-British battle between former heavyweight champions.

The plan is for the fight to take place in November. One of the main sticking points that remains is whether it will be staged in the United Kingdom or the United States.

Joshua's promoter and Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn maintains that the clash is contractually set to take place in the UK, while other principals are open to exploring untapped avenues and revenue possibilities.

"I think you can see publicly, lots of games being played, lots of ego involved, and things like that," White said. "The answer to the question is, you go wherever the money is. That's the answer."

"I think you can see where all the delay is coming from. I don't think it's a big secret. It's all playing out in front. I don't care. Listen, when it's time, I go in, and I do what I do, and all this other bulls--- that goes on, I don't have to deal with any of this stuff."

Is that Dana's way of backtracking and saying he doesn't actually know where the fight is taking place?

It is now August, I once saw an interview with Eddie Hearn 'he stated the fight would be in November. Surely? If both fighters are to assemble and training camp, this fights needs to be announced and confirmed within the next 2 weeks at the most'.

Note: I still would not be surprised if Tyson Fury 'backed out of the fight. Stylistically it is a very difficult fight for him, and due to Anthony Joshua's recent performance? The media are making Fury a heavy favourite'.

When in reality, Anthony Joshua is still knocking out his opponents 'while Fury in my opinion is struggling to really inflict damage on his opponents'.

Mariusz Wach most likely could have survived the full 12 - rounds vs. Tyson Fury 'retiring on his stool, after a talk in the corner after giving Fury some work. Is not the same as Anthony Joshua decimating both Francis Ngannou and Kristian Prenga' etc.

Talk of this November in the U.S

As I understand it, there is a big push to have this fight in England.
It really should take place in England.
There's going to be some back and forth on this one.
November 14th in NYC is the lead bid.

Frank~Warren on Joshua-Fury: ‘These guys will have to dig deep’

Ahead of staging the August 29 IBF heavyweight title fight between Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic in London, promoter Frank~Warren said: “One thing is for sure, the British heavyweight scene is alive.”

Itauma is one of a new generation of heavyweights, tasked with picking up from where the likes of Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury leave off.

With increased belief that the fight between UK veterans Joshua and Fury will take place in New York on November 20, Warren said: “That, at this moment, I can’t comment on. That will be up to His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh] to announce when he is ready to announce it.”

The International Boxing Hall of Fame promoter was asked on a media call today whether the fight belonged in the UK. Warren said: “Of course I do, but they contacted Wembley, didn’t they, Sela, and asked if they would push the time back and, as far as I understand, that has not happened.”

The promoter was also questioned about when a possible announcement for the heavyweight fight could be expected, but would not comment on a timeline.

“No, the fighters will just need to get into training sometime in September, so that is what will happen in early September,” he said. “They will be ticking over at the moment, I’m sure. I can only speak for Tyson but he is with his family. He has been in two training camps after being out for a long time, so he is spending some time on the Isle of Man with his family and then, as soon as the date’s announced, he will get down to the serious business and bring in sparring partners and prepare for the fight. I believe the fight will go on in November.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn made it clear that the contract Joshua initially signed stated that the fight would take place in the UK. Has Fury agreed to fight Joshua in America or is he contracted to do it in the UK?

“I can’t comment on that at the moment because it is not for me to do it,” Warren explained. “We have our arrangement and promotional arrangement with Tyson but it is not for me to announce what is going to happen with that fight yet… You have a big fight coming up with the two senior heavyweights in Tyson and AJ. Everybody is waiting for that to happen in November and be announced. In the meantime, you have got all these other guys jockeying around.”

While many will point out that a fight between a 37-year-old Joshua and 38-year-old Fury will see both boxing past their best years, Warren said that maybe the time is right for the type of fight they would deliver.

“In some ways it depends what you are looking for in a fight… Look at [Wladimir] Klitschko when he fought AJ. AJ was in his prime and Klitschko came off a loss against Tyson and wasn’t at his best, but it was a great fight. Who would have won in his prime? You would have liked to see that fight in their primes and your money would have probably gone on Klitschko, who knows? The one thing about these guys is there is only a year between their ages and, irrespective of when it would have taken place, the fact is it didn’t and what we have got is what we have got now. We have two guys who are getting very well paid but, more importantly, they both want to win the fight in a big way. Neither wants to be the loser. There comes a time in some fighters’ careers where people think they are maybe not at their best but they go and dig deep to find something else. These two guys will have to dig deep when they fight each other because they both want it and we’ll find out who wants it the most. Me? I say all day long it is Tyson but we’ll find out when that first bell goes.”

Both heavyweights came through their July runouts one day apart, with Fury stopping Mariusz Wach and Joshua climbing off the floor twice to stop Kristian Prenga in the second round.

Some said the toll of the tragic crash Joshua was involved in in Nigeria in December, which claimed the lives of two of his best friends, meant that Joshua might have needed more time before a fight of that magnitude and the pressures that come with it.

Asked whether he felt Joshua was committed to fight in November, Warren said: “He has got plenty of time to get ready. He has had two fights in, what, the last seven months. Jake Paul and Prenga, they are the two fights he has had and he is doing a training camp with [Oleksandr] Usyk, so what does he do if he doesn’t fight? He will carry on training, training and training and he will be getting older, as will Tyson, so what is the point? Get on with it. I am actually going to keep it to myself at this stage what AJ thinks, but what I do know is he is a dangerous man when he catches you. Coming forward he throws big punches and if he thinks he can catch Tyson and if he thinks he can hurt him, then he will fancy the fight. I think he thinks he can hurt him but the problem he has got for himself is that he gets caught and he goes over. Looking at the Prenga fight, if that had been Tyson in there, that would have been all over.”

Warren tells Fury, Joshua to 'get on with' signing superfight

Frank~Warren is confident Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will fight in November despite rumors that their anticipated heavyweight showdown may be pushed back to early 2027.

The two British heavyweights, who first sparred each other in 2010, are finally set to fight each other for real, having come through their dual “warm-up” fights last month.

Tyson Fury stopped Mariusz Wach in Thailand on Friday July 24 before Joshua got up off the canvas to knockout Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia the following evening.

But despite their wins, there has still been no announcement on their clash, with reports claiming that a proposed November date is now in danger of falling through.

Now Warren, Fury’s long-time promoter, has called for both men to “get on with it” and finally agree what is considered one of the most important fights in British boxing history.

“There is still plenty of time,” Warren told a media roundtable when asked about the proposed November date.

“The fighters will just need to get into training some time in September so that is what will happen in early September. They will be ticking over at the moment, I’m sure.

“I can only speak for Tyson but he is with his family. He has been in two training camps after being out for a long time so he is spending some time on the Isle of Man with his family and then as soon as the date is announced, he will get down to the serious business and bring in sparring partners and prepare for the fight.
“I believe the fight will go on in November."

While Fury had it all his own way against Wach, the same cannot be said of Joshua, who was dropped with pretty much the first punch that unheralded underdog Prenga landed at Jeddah Superdome.

It has therefore been suggested that Joshua, who has already signed his agreement to fight Fury, wants more time to prepare for the clash, meaning November may come too soon for him.

But Warren said: “He has got plenty of time to get ready.

"He has had two fights in the last seven months. Jake Paul and Prenga, they are the two fights he has had and he is doing a training camp with Usyk.

“So what does he do if he doesn’t fight? He will carry on training, training and training and he will be getting older as will Tyson, so what is the point? Get on with it."

As a result of their differing performances in July, and Joshua’s apparent vulnerability, Fury has been made a clear betting favorite with the oddsmakers.

But, while he expects the “Gypsy King” to get the job done against the Londoner, Warren is not writing Joshua off.
He added: “Coming forward he throws big punches and if he thinks he can catch Tyson and if he thinks he can hurt him, then he will fancy the fight.

“I think he thinks he can hurt him but the problem he has got for himself is that he gets caught and he goes over.
“Looking at the Prenga fight, if that had been Tyson in there, that would have been all over.”

Multiple reports have claimed that New York’s Madison Square Garden is the frontrunner to host the fight, despite the appeal to UK fight fans.

When asked whether he understands the frustration regarding a decision to take the fight to America, Warren said: “Of course I do.

“But Sela contacted Wembley Stadium and asked if they would push the time back and as far as I understand, that’s not happened. At the moment, I cannot comment on the date or location of the fight, that’s going to be up to His Excellency Turki Alalshikh to announce when he’s ready to announce.”

Fury vs Joshua: Eddie Hearn expects British heavyweight fight to be finalised by end of August despite concerns over location

Eddie Hearn insists Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua will be finalised by the end of August despite concerns over relocating the fight to New York; Hearn asserts that Joshua is keen to fight Fury on British soil

Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua is still expected to be announced in August, even if the all-British heavyweight clash is relocated to America.

New York has emerged as the most likely venue for Fury vs Joshua, with Madison Square Garden poised to host the two British stars.

Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn insists he is yet to agree that the bout can be moved to the States, but still expects the fight to be finalised this month.

"At the end of August, there will be a press conference," Hearn told Sky Sports News.

"I'm not going to sit here and tell you there's no way the fight's happening in America because things can change.

"But I really feel strongly that this is something that should happen in the UK and we'll do all we can.

"We're up against it - it seems like everybody else has agreed but Anthony Joshua. He feels a little bit of responsibility to UK fight fans as well, and he's doing everything he can to give them what they want."

Discussion about a change of venue has led to speculation that the fight could be delayed, but Hearn remains optimistic that an in-shape Anthony Joshua will be ready to fight in November no matter the location.

"We're ready to go in November - so there's no reason for this fight to be delayed," Hearn added.

"We will try and make it as financially unviable as possible to do this fight in the US, so that hopefully they just turn around and say, 'okay, let's just do it in the UK'.

"Apparently, [New York] is the entertainment capital of the world. Who cares? It's two Brits and the biggest fight in the British boxing history. But I understand business."