Tyson Fury has publicly stated that his highly anticipated boxing match against Anthony Joshua is off, citing Joshua's alleged reluctance to finalize the deal. Fury, in a series of social media posts on Sunday, accused Joshua of "s***ting his pants yet again" after 11 years of negotiations.
The ongoing dispute over the heavyweight bout has largely centered on disagreements regarding its location and contractual terms. While Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, had indicated that talks had recently reopened, Fury's latest statements suggest a significant setback.
Fury expressed frustration with the perceived delays, directly addressing Joshua and his promoter, Eddie Hearn. He questioned Joshua's commitment and patriotism, referencing a 2020 speech Joshua gave at a Black Lives Matter march where he urged support for Black-owned businesses. Fury also brought up Joshua's reported move to Dubai.
"So it looks like AJ has s*** his pants yet again," Fury stated on social media. "After 11 years, he's finally s*** his pants yet again."
Fury further elaborated on his frustrations in a video address, accusing Joshua of attempting to derail the fight to avoid a definitive loss. "If I agreed to tie both hands behind my back and wear solid cement boots, Anthony Joshua would never get in the ring with me because I'll annihilate him," Fury said. He also dismissed claims that he was unwilling to fight in England, stating his preference for a hometown bout at Wembley Stadium.
"Why the f*** wouldn't I want to fight in England, you sausage? Tyson only wants to fight in America'. Are you joking or what?" Fury questioned, adding that he would "knock the motherf***er out even quicker" in England before a crowd of 100,000 at Wembley.
The controversy surrounding the fight's location has involved both London's Wembley Stadium and New York's Madison Square Garden, a choice favored by broadcaster Netflix to maximize U.S. revenue, according to Fury's promoter Frank Warren.
Warren confirmed that while Fury signed his contract in January and has been training, Joshua had not yet signed the deal by the stated Sunday deadline. He previously warned that the fight could fall apart if an agreement wasn't reached promptly.
Amid the stalled negotiations with Joshua, Fury announced he is now considering a third fight with Oleksandr Usyk. "So this would only lead me to a fight with Oleksandr Usyk," Fury said, inviting Usyk to face him again in November. "Let's do it again. Let's run it back in November."
Fury's promoter, Frank Warren, had previously indicated that the original agreement stipulated the fight would take place in England. However, Netflix, a primary financier of the event, has pushed for Madison Square Garden to capitalize on the American market. The need for a sufficient training camp, typically requiring nine to ten weeks, adds further pressure to finalize the arrangements. Fury suggested that Joshua's hesitation stems from a fear of defeat, comparing him unfavorably to Deontay Wilder, whom Fury fought three times.