For much of a decade, Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua remained trapped in a cycle of rumors and failed negotiations. However, this year, the highly anticipated British boxing derby finally found a massive ray of hope. With the help of Turki Alalshikh, Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn finalized a deal between England’s two star boxers for November. However, the fight is now facing a hurdle, with a dispute brewing over its location.  

Reportedly, the Saudis want to hold the event in the United States, especially at the historic Madison Square Garden. But Hearn has remained adamant about keeping the Fury vs. Joshua clash in England, and he has now given Turki Alalshikh a final deadline to make it happen with proposed changes. 

“What I’m saying is, the moment of those two walking out in front of 100,000 people at Wembley will be like Saturday night at Croke Park,” Hearn told DAZN. “MSG will be great, 20,000, it’ll be a massive fight. It just won’t be the same. But what we’re not going to do is lose the fight. So we’ve gone back to the Saudis and gone, ‘Here’s the changes. They’re all completely reasonable if you really want to do it. Let’s go, but they’ve got to decide this week.’ 

“So what we’re saying is, we’re not saying we couldn’t have gone. We’re not doing it. It’s England or nothing, which a lot of people, the fans, have told us, ‘Just say that.’ But, you know, when you’re up against everybody, it’s hard to do that because then you get accused of ducking. We’ve signed the fight. We’re in for the fight, you know, so wherever it is, it’ll be amazing.” 

In an interview with The Athletic, Eddie Hearn discussed why Alalshikh and company want to stage the Fury vs. Joshua boxing match in the United States. The 47-year-old explained that Turki Alalshikh, along with TKO’s Nick Khan and broadcasting partner Netflix, would do much bigger numbers in the U.S. and attract a larger American audience. However, Hearn also pointed out that their initial contract prevents that from happening. 

However, the dispute is not simply about Hearn and Joshua’s association with DAZN. It centers on the UK venue clause in Joshua’s agreement and the amendments his side says are necessary if the event is moved to the United States. Hearn has said Joshua signed for a UK staging, meaning a proposed Madison Square Garden fight would require changes to the existing terms rather than an automatic relocation.

Still, Hearn is not alone in preferring a British staging. Fury’s longtime promoter, Frank Warren, has said Wembley would be the ideal venue for the blockbuster fight, although he believes the commercial and broadcasting dynamics could ultimately take it to the United States.

With both rival promoters in unison over the fight taking place in England, it will be interesting to see how Turki Alalshikh, who is a major investor in the fight, takes the next step. Only time will tell whether the Saudis will meet Hearn’s demands or not.