LONDON — Promoter Eddie Hearn said the proposed heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua must be staged in the United Kingdom under the terms of a fight agreement signed three months ago.
The comments came after reports that Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh wants to stage the bout, expected in October or November, at a venue and time that would maximize the global television audience.
A fight at Wembley Stadium could require an exemption to the venue’s curfew if organizers seek a late-night start to accommodate international broadcasts. Reports have also linked New York’s Madison Square Garden as a possible alternative venue.
Hearn, who promotes Joshua, said the current agreement specifies that the fight will take place in the UK and that any change would require a new agreement.
“There’s a reason we put contracts together,” Hearn said after Joshua stopped Kristian Prenga in the second round in Jeddah on Saturday. The victory kept Joshua on course for a potential meeting with Fury, who defeated Mariusz Wach in Thailand a day earlier.
Hearn said Joshua wanted the fight held in the UK, calling it “a British fight.”
He added that while Alalshikh has been a strong supporter of Joshua, the fight would only be moved outside England if both Joshua and his team agreed to amend the legally binding contract.
Joshua also said Wembley Stadium remains his preferred venue.
“When these conversations started, there was no other venue or location that was ever mentioned,” Joshua said. “Providing you’re victorious, you’ll be fighting Tyson Fury in the UK, basically Wembley.”
He added that Wembley was the natural choice because of its history in British boxing.