Tyson Fury has labeled Anthony Joshua a "coward" as the two British boxers face a tense wait to see if their long-awaited fight can be finalized. The bout, which had been anticipated for November, is facing increasing uncertainty due to a lack of agreement on the venue and contract terms.
Joshua and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, have reportedly signed a contract for the fight to take place in the United Kingdom. However, organizers are understood to favor staging the match in the United States. Hearn has previously indicated that contracts would need to be renegotiated if the fight were to occur outside the UK.
Fury, who recently defeated Mariusz Wach, expressed frustration with the ongoing negotiations, calling them "quite tiring." He stated, "I've been down to fight at every location that's been mentioned - England, Ireland, Vegas, New York, back to England, back to Ireland, back to New York." Fury asserted that he has agreed to all proposals, saying, "Zero stipulations." He directly addressed Joshua, saying, "I feel like you're being a coward. I feel like you don't want the fight and you're just conning everybody. I feel like you've been doing that for years."
In a separate message, Fury, 38, taunted Joshua, 36, urging him to "sign the contract, big boy," echoing a famous line from former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. Frank Warren, Fury's promoter, confirmed that his fighter is "100%" signed up for the bout. "Tyson is signed up for the fight and agreed for the fight," Warren told Sky Sports News.