Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua’s long-awaited heavyweight blockbuster now appears destined for New York City, ending hopes the all-British showdown would finally take place on home soil.
The pair were originally expected to square off in the UK after contracts were signed, but plans to maximise the fight’s American broadcast appeal appear to have prompted a dramatic change of course.
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According to BoxingScene, Fury and Joshua are now expected to meet in New York in November, with an official announcement anticipated in the coming weeks.
It means the biggest all-British domestic bout of a generation will take place in the US, ending a prolonged period of uncertainty.
The destination and date of the fight have been one of the leading stories of the year, played out in a slew of protracted arguments.
Zuffa supremo Dana White and Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn have clashed multiple times over the details of the clash.
Last week, Hearn revealed Madison Square Garden had tabled an offer to host the event.
“They’ve had a decent offer from MSG [Madison Square Garden],” he told The Athletic.
On fighting across time zones, he added: “I think the aim would be to do it at three o’clock in the morning UK time, which would be 10pm in the U.S.
“They want the fight in the U.S. — Turki, Nick Khan, Netflix.
“I think Netflix feel like it’ll do a bigger number in the U.S. if it’s on at prime time there.
“We want the fight in the UK. We’ve insisted that within the contract, and if that’s going to change, then we need to have a conversation about it.
“You can’t just announce that it’s in the U.S. — though they might do that — but that would be a big problem if that’s the case.
“So hopefully if that is what they want to do, we’ll have a chat and then see where we get to.”
Fury, however, appears far less concerned about where the fight takes place.
“We are called prizefighters for a reason,” he told iFL TV.
“If the fight is on Mars, we are going to go there.
“Whoever is paying the money gets to decide where they are putting it.”
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Fury and Joshua, meanwhile, fought tune-up bouts on opposite sides of the world in July against Mariusz Wach and Kristian Prenga.
Their long-awaited encounter, mooted on several occasions but never made, has long been seen as one of the sport’s biggest fights.
Both two-time heavyweight champions, each man will hope to secure a marquee victory that can help settle a long-running rivalry.
Parts of this story appeared originally on DAZN NEWS.