Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua targeted for November but fight ‘won’t take place in UK’

Fury vs Joshua heads stateside?

The fight has moved a huge step closer after both heavyweights came through their recent bouts. Joshua stopped Kristian Prenga, while Fury defeated Marius Wach in Thailand, leaving the long-awaited showdown as the obvious next step.

According to Sports Illustrated reporter Chris Mannix, the fight is currently being lined up for November. While many fans expected it to take place in Britain, the latest reports suggest organisers are now pushing for it to be staged in the United States instead, with Madison Square Garden emerging as the frontrunner.

If that happens, fans could also see a major change to the usual fight-night schedule. Rather than taking place on a Saturday, Netflix, which is reportedly playing a key role in bringing the event together, is said to be targeting a Friday night instead.

The proposed date is 20 November, allowing the event to avoid clashing with college football in the US.

Fury left in the dark

Despite the growing reports, Fury admitted after beating Wach that he still has no idea where the fight will actually happen.

“I’ll regroup, and hopefully the next big fight gets signed next week, and we head wherever we’re going to head. Who the f*** knows?” he said.

“Is it going to be Vegas? Is it going to be New York? Is it going to be Ireland? Is it going to be London? Who knows? Belfast maybe? It might even be here in Pattaya, Thailand.”

However, Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn has painted a very different picture. He insists that a legally binding contract, signed around three months ago, clearly states that the fight should take place in the UK.

According to Hearn, Joshua was determined from the beginning that the event should stay on home soil, and the team made sure that was reflected in the agreement before signing anything.

“There’s a reason we have contracts,” Hearn explained. “There’s a reason AJ has lawyers, and there’s a reason we spend so much time making sure every decision is the right one.”

He added that Joshua made his position very clear, telling him: “I want the fight in the UK.”

Still, Hearn has admitted that things became more complicated after American promoters came forward with the possibility of staging the fight at Madison Square Garden, where significantly more money could be made.

“There was never any doubt this fight was in the UK,” Hearn said. “Until approaches started coming from America because of the revenue that could be achieved at MSG.”

For now, fans are still waiting for an official announcement, but after years of wondering whether the fight would ever happen, Fury and Joshua finally seem closer than ever to sharing the ring.