Sports26 September, 20263 min read
Dana White Casts Doubt on Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua Fight at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium
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Fury-Joshua fight set for December 11 at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, with Netflix streaming. Event faces jeopardy amid promoter clash between Eddie Hearn and promoters.
Chaos Around Fury-Joshua
Dana White cast doubt on whether the Fury-Joshua fight would actually happen, saying "I don't know" when asked if the bout would take place and adding "I have no idea" about whether a Wednesday news conference in London would go ahead. Fury and Joshua were officially announced to meet at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on 11 December, live globally on Netflix, but the certainty "had unravelled" after a dispute over who is entitled to promote the event. Eddie Hearn said Joshua's contract specifically prevented White and American sports entertainment company TKO from having a promotional role, and Hearn said there had been breaches of the agreement that needed to be resolved.
Frank Warren told BBC Sport that his understanding was White had helped secure the Netflix deal and that compromises had been necessary to get the fight made. Netflix continued to list Fury against Joshua at the Principality Stadium on 11 December as of Saturday night, even as Fury and Joshua faced competing claims about whether the fight could be called off.
Fury Accuses Hearn
Tyson Fury said "Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn are trying to pull out of this fight" and claimed "They’re saying they’re not going to fight now," in a video posted on social media late Friday. Fury said the dispute "mainly" had to do with Eddie Hearn's ego, and he described Hearn as "threatening 'we're not gonna fight'" while saying he was coming back to the United Kingdom to thrash Joshua in front of his fans in Wales. Fury also told an audience on his YouTube channel Furocity that there is only a "1%" chance the fight will take place, and he called Joshua a "real coward".
Turki Alalshikh posted pictures of himself with White and later shared a cryptic message in Arabic about somebody attempting to "stab you where you told them it hurts", while making no explicit reference to Fury-Joshua. Mike Coppinger and Chris Mannix were cited for reporting that Fury-Joshua could be called off, with alternative fights discussed for 11 December including Ryan Garcia against the recently retired three-weight undisputed champion Terence Crawford.
What Is at Stake
The fight's promotion dispute centered on Dana White's involvement, with Hearn saying Joshua's contract prevented White and TKO from having a promotional role and with White saying he rejected the idea that his role was personal rather than promotional. The BBC described lawyers examining what Joshua's contract permits as a key point in the dispute, while Sky Sports reported that Fury said the fight could be called off and that he said it was "mainly" to do with Eddie Hearn's ego. Turki Alalshikh and Netflix were described as announcing the bout details on Thursday, and the fight was framed as an all-British heavyweight clash for the WBA "Super" heavyweight championship in Cardiff.
“Nobody asked me or my team anything before this decision.”
Promoters of WBA champion Murat Gassiev condemned reports that the Fury-Joshua bout would be contested for the WBA's Super heavyweight title, and John Wirt said, "If anyone should be fighting for the WBA Super heavyweight title, it is Murat Gassiev, the reigning champion." Gassiev said, "Nobody asked me or my team anything before this decision," and his team lodged a formal objection to the WBA while demanding it publicly refute the reports and take no action that would deny Gassiev his rightful status.