Anthony Joshua’s long-awaited heavyweight showdown with Tyson Fury remains contractually tied to the UK, according to promoter Eddie Hearn, who insists any move to the United States would require a completely new agreement with Joshua’s camp.
Speculation has recently grown that Las Vegas could host one of British boxing’s biggest-ever fights, but Hearn said he has not received any official request from Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh to relocate the event. While acknowledging that Alalshikh is financing the blockbuster, Hearn stressed that the existing contracts guarantee the bout will take place in Britain unless both sides agree to revised terms.
Hearn said that, should any proposal be made to stage the contest elsewhere, negotiations would effectively have to begin again. However, he remains convinced the fight will still happen this year in the UK if the original agreement stays in place.
The Matchroom boss also dismissed claims from UFC president Dana White that he will promote the event through Zuffa Boxing. Hearn said the current contract does not allow White or Zuffa Boxing to act as promoters unless Joshua’s team agrees to amend the deal.
Joshua and Fury, both former two-time heavyweight world champions, continue to rank among Britain’s biggest boxing attractions despite entering the later stages of their careers. The fight has been arranged through Alalshikh, with both fighters’ teams negotiating directly with the Saudi organizer.
According to Hearn, neither Matchroom nor Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions can take the lead promotional role because doing so would give one fighter’s side an advantage.
White recently claimed he already knows the date and venue for the fight and suggested he would oversee promotion. Fury added to the speculation after appearing at the UFC’s White House event earlier this month, hinting that a major announcement involving White was coming before later confirming only that Alalshikh would promote his future fights. Warren has since stated that Queensberry will remain involved in promoting Fury alongside the Saudi organizer.
Hearn believes White’s comments stem from Alalshikh asking him to assess whether staging the fight in Las Vegas would be financially worthwhile. In Hearn’s view, White exaggerated the extent of his current involvement.
Still, Hearn acknowledged that circumstances could change if all parties find the right financial arrangement, saying money has a way of altering negotiations.
The rivalry between Hearn and White has intensified since Zuffa Boxing entered professional boxing, particularly after White signed Conor Benn, who had previously been promoted by Matchroom.
Although Alalshikh has suggested next week’s meeting between the camps could help ease tensions, Hearn made it clear he has little interest in ending the rivalry, describing the competition with White as one of the most enjoyable aspects of his career.
Before any final plans are confirmed, both fighters must first avoid upset defeats. Joshua is scheduled to face Kristian Prenga on 25 July, while Fury is expected to take part in an interim bout on 1 August. Hearn believes those contests remain the only realistic obstacles to the long-awaited all-British heavyweight clash.