Tyson Fury has stated that his long-awaited heavyweight boxing match against Anthony Joshua is unlikely to proceed, citing a dispute over financial terms with Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn.
Fury accused Hearn of "money-thirsty" behavior and attempting to secure additional funds from Saudi boxing organizer Turki Alalshikh, potentially to finance other ventures. "Doesn't look like they're going to sign the fight, doesn't look like it's going to happen. All because Eddie Hearn and that want more money," Fury said in an Instagram post. He further alleged that Hearn and Joshua have already received substantial financial support for boxing, darts, and snooker deals from Alalshikh.
Contracts for the fight, reportedly scheduled for November 20 in New York City, were understood to have been signed, but Hearn indicated that further negotiations were necessary. Fury claimed that Hearn's insistence on increasing the purse was a tactic to facilitate a move to America, contrasting with an earlier contractual requirement for the fight to be staged in Britain. "All this talk of, 'We want the fight in England, we want this, we want that'. It's only to get more money to go to America," Fury stated.
Fury also directed criticism at Joshua, calling him a "coward" and a "drug-dealing idiot." He referenced a recent video of Joshua engaging in golf buggy stunts, suggesting a lack of seriousness and disregard for his safety, especially considering Joshua's past experiences, including a car crash that resulted in fatalities among his friends. Fury questioned Joshua's preparedness for the fight, stating, "Has he not learned his lesson? He could break his arm, break his leg. Fight's off."
According to IFLTV, Hearn confirmed that Joshua's team had requested an increased fight purse to cover the tax implications of holding the bout in New York. A response to this request had not been received for several days. Hearn added that while Fury has agreed to a U.S. venue, his own team has not yet committed, and they are discussing terms for a potential American staging of the fight.
Previous attempts to arrange a fight between Fury and Joshua, who have been in discussions since 2017, have fallen through. A potential two-fight agreement in 2021 was abandoned after Fury was compelled by an arbitration ruling to face Deontay Wilder. Fury subsequently fought Wilder a third time, while Joshua lost his WBA, IBF, and WBO titles to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and lost their rematch in 2022.