Tyson Fury has cast serious doubt over the long-awaited heavyweight unification bout against Anthony Joshua, alleging that Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn are attempting to withdraw from the scheduled clash. The controversy emerged just days after Saudi Arabia’s boxing minister, Turki Alalshikh, confirmed that the all-British showdown would proceed at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on December 11.
Fury accused Hearn of obstructing the deal due to personal pride rather than contractual or logistical issues. “Breaking news, Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn are trying to pull out the fight,” Fury stated. “They’re saying they’re not going to fight now. It’s mainly to do with Eddie Hearn’s ego. He’s making up a million different things and threatening ‘we’re not gonna fight’.”
The Gypsy King suggested that Hearn was fabricating excuses to avoid facing him in front of Fury’s fanbase in Wales. “Now the Gypsy King is coming back to the United Kingdom to thrash you in front of all my fans in Wales, and now you are making a million excuses,” Fury said. He further noted that Alalshikh was ready to find “alternative, real men who will fight at the drop of a hat” if the negotiations with Joshua fell through.
Sky Sports News has reached out to Matchroom Sport, Hearn’s promotion company, for an official response. The dispute comes amid a history of tense negotiations between the two camps, which nearly derailed the event following Joshua’s recent tune-up fight in July. That bout saw Joshua down twice in the first round by unknown opponent Kristian Prenga before securing a second-round victory.
Fury’s path to the ring has been equally unconventional. After announcing his retirement following a loss to Oleksandr Usyk, Fury returned to training in Thailand a year later. He made his comeback in April at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, defeating Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision, and subsequently stopped veteran Mariusz Wach in Thailand during a private warm-up bout in July.
Did anyone else catch that Fury stopped a guy in Thailand but is now claiming moral victory? The boxing world is confusing right now.
If they actually cancel this, I will be so disappointed. Two months of build-up gone because of promoter pride? What a shame.
I’m still worried about Joshua’s readiness. Getting dropped twice against Prenga was a scary sign. Hopefully, he’s fully recovered by December.
Eddie Hearn’s ego? Classic Fury move to shift blame. This entire saga feels like a marketing stunt to keep the fans hooked.