The planned November all-British heavyweight bout risks collapse as venue disagreement drags on, Tyson Fury said, accusing Anthony Joshua of being a "coward". Fury, 38, renewed pressure on Joshua, 36, as promoters and organisers remain at odds over staging the fight in the United Kingdom or the United States.
Joshua and Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn have signed a contract for the fight to take place in the United Kingdom, while organisers are understood to favour staging it in the United States. Hearn has previously said the contracts would have to be renegotiated if the fight were to take place outside the United Kingdom, a technical obstacle that now clouds the timetable.
Fury, who beat Mariusz Wach last month and kept the potential clash on track, said the negotiations had become "quite tiring". He listed multiple locations he had agreed to, saying, "I've been down to fight at every location that's been mentioned - England, Ireland, Vegas, New York, back to England, back to Ireland, back to New York." He added, "Listen, I've said yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, every single time. Zero stipulations."
Fury escalated his taunts with a social post alongside former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, telling Joshua to "sign the contract, big boy", invoking Tyson's iconic line. He also told Joshua directly, "The facts are I feel like you're being a coward. I feel like you don't want the fight and you're just conning everybody. I feel like you've been doing that for years. You've had many opportunities to fight me, but deep down you've never really wanted it, so let's see if you're going to man up for a final time."
Queensberry promoter Frank Warren told Sky Sports News Fury was "100%" signed up for the fight. "It is signed by Tyson," Warren said. "Tyson is signed up for the fight and agreed for the fight." Those reassurances confirm Fury's commitment, but they do not resolve the venue impasse or the contractual work required if organisers push for a US site.
Negotiations now determine whether the bout proceeds in November, or slips as parties recalibrate contracts and venue plans. If organisers press for a US location, Matchroom and Joshua will face a choice to renegotiate or hold to the UK agreement, a decision that could decide whether the long-awaited encounter goes ahead.
