2 months ago
The tiresome ongoing saga with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua may be nearing a conclusion, with a fight actually happening.
Gareth A Davies is reporting that Cardiff is the new "leading contender" to host the bout on December 4 or 11, provided officials in the Welsh city sign off on an extended curfew, which had become a major issue for the originally agreed location, London's Wembley Stadium.
As you've surely heard by now, Turki Alalshikh — whose backing is paying for the massively expensive, long-overdue showdown — and Netflix have wanted the fight at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Matchroom/Joshua side had balked at this, having signed to fight in the UK.
The latest word is that Cardiff, which was always sort of a darkhorse contender to host the fight, is the new frontrunner, and we may actually get this deal done and see the fight happen. Principality Stadium has a roof, so weather won't be a concern for the fight itself.
Joshua (30-4, 27 KO) has fought at the venue before, beating Carlos Takam there in 2017 and Joseph Parker in 2018. He's 3-0 in Cardiff as a pro, having also defeated Dorian Darch at Cardiff International Arena in 2014. Fury (36-2-1, 25 KO) has never fought in Cardiff, but has stated repeatedly during the drama around this fight that he was willing to go anywhere.
#cardiff #tyson
Gareth A Davies is reporting that Cardiff is the new "leading contender" to host the bout on December 4 or 11, provided officials in the Welsh city sign off on an extended curfew, which had become a major issue for the originally agreed location, London's Wembley Stadium.
As you've surely heard by now, Turki Alalshikh — whose backing is paying for the massively expensive, long-overdue showdown — and Netflix have wanted the fight at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Matchroom/Joshua side had balked at this, having signed to fight in the UK.
The latest word is that Cardiff, which was always sort of a darkhorse contender to host the fight, is the new frontrunner, and we may actually get this deal done and see the fight happen. Principality Stadium has a roof, so weather won't be a concern for the fight itself.
Joshua (30-4, 27 KO) has fought at the venue before, beating Carlos Takam there in 2017 and Joseph Parker in 2018. He's 3-0 in Cardiff as a pro, having also defeated Dorian Darch at Cardiff International Arena in 2014. Fury (36-2-1, 25 KO) has never fought in Cardiff, but has stated repeatedly during the drama around this fight that he was willing to go anywhere.
#cardiff #tyson
2 months ago
Frank Warren says that Anthony Joshua is yet to sign the contract for an all-British blockbuster fight with Tyson Fury as the wait goes on for an official announcement.
Fury suggested on Tuesday that confirmation of the hotly-anticipated showdown was close, posting a mocked-up image of himself facing off with Joshua above the words "New York City" on Instagram.
The expectation is that the bout will be hosted at the world-famous Madison Square Garden, as is the desire of Turki Alalshikh and Saudi state-owned promotional company Sela, though Joshua's camp prefer Wembley Stadium as the venue, which would allow for the element of a home crowd.
Warren, however, says that location is no longer a factor for Fury who has penned a contract that does not hinge on where the fight takes place, with the Queensberry chief insisting that "The Gypsy King" is now just waiting on Joshua's signature.
"The latest is Joshua's not signed yet," Warren said.
#joshua #contract #anthony #tuesday
Fury suggested on Tuesday that confirmation of the hotly-anticipated showdown was close, posting a mocked-up image of himself facing off with Joshua above the words "New York City" on Instagram.
The expectation is that the bout will be hosted at the world-famous Madison Square Garden, as is the desire of Turki Alalshikh and Saudi state-owned promotional company Sela, though Joshua's camp prefer Wembley Stadium as the venue, which would allow for the element of a home crowd.
Warren, however, says that location is no longer a factor for Fury who has penned a contract that does not hinge on where the fight takes place, with the Queensberry chief insisting that "The Gypsy King" is now just waiting on Joshua's signature.
"The latest is Joshua's not signed yet," Warren said.
#joshua #contract #anthony #tuesday
3 months ago
Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua has been one of the biggest fights possible in the world of boxing for years now, but has somehow never come to fruition. Even now, years past it's best before date, the fight struggles to get across the finish line. Even with Saudi boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh pushing to make it a reality, there's still a very good chance the fight falls apart.
Zuffa Boxing head Dana White's participation in the fight has been controversial from the start. Anthony Joshua's contract has a provision in it specifically barring White from promoting the fight. It also has a provision stating the fight must take place in the UK. Both those terms are being ignored by Alalshikh, who is looking to promote the fight under Zuffa's banner in New York City.
Asked about the status of Joshua vs. Fury following UFC 330, White didn't sound particularly optimistic.
"Listen, this f–king saga, we'll see how this whole thing plays out," he said. "They either want to fight or they don't. I don't know."
White noted that he wasn't involved in Anthony Joshua's contract, only the Netflix and (rumored) Madison Square Garden deals.
#white #boxing #years
Zuffa Boxing head Dana White's participation in the fight has been controversial from the start. Anthony Joshua's contract has a provision in it specifically barring White from promoting the fight. It also has a provision stating the fight must take place in the UK. Both those terms are being ignored by Alalshikh, who is looking to promote the fight under Zuffa's banner in New York City.
Asked about the status of Joshua vs. Fury following UFC 330, White didn't sound particularly optimistic.
"Listen, this f–king saga, we'll see how this whole thing plays out," he said. "They either want to fight or they don't. I don't know."
White noted that he wasn't involved in Anthony Joshua's contract, only the Netflix and (rumored) Madison Square Garden deals.
#white #boxing #years
3 months ago
Promoter Frank Warren has refused to say if the 'Battle of Britain' between former world heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will take place in the United Kingdom or the United States.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua's promoter, insisted last month the bout must take place in the UK under the terms of the fight deal signed by both camps, with London's Wembley Stadium seemingly the most likely venue.
But Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh reportedly wants to stage the contest at a time that would attract the largest global audience.
But were the fight to be held at Wembley, any plans to stage the bout with a 2:00 am (0200 GMT) start would require an exemption to the stadium's curfew restrictions.
There would be no such issues should the long-awaited contest be held instead at New York's Madison Square Garden.
#bout #contest
Eddie Hearn, Joshua's promoter, insisted last month the bout must take place in the UK under the terms of the fight deal signed by both camps, with London's Wembley Stadium seemingly the most likely venue.
But Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh reportedly wants to stage the contest at a time that would attract the largest global audience.
But were the fight to be held at Wembley, any plans to stage the bout with a 2:00 am (0200 GMT) start would require an exemption to the stadium's curfew restrictions.
There would be no such issues should the long-awaited contest be held instead at New York's Madison Square Garden.
#bout #contest
3 months ago
Saudi Arabia government official Turki Alalshikh's investment deal into Derby County could be finalised as early as next week.
Alalshikh, co-founder of boxing promotion company Zuffa, is interested in buying a stake in the Championship club and there has been a deal on the table with English football's independent regulator since May.
With final checks set to take place, his investment is expected to be given the green light in the coming days, BBC Radio Derby reports.
The proposed deal had raised concerns among human rights campaigners, including Amnesty International, which last month said the independent regulator faced a "defining test" over the investment.
Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority - and someone who is close to the Kingdom's de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman - has been criticised by human rights groups for his role in alleged 'sportswashing'.
#deal #alalshikh #regulator #arabia
Alalshikh, co-founder of boxing promotion company Zuffa, is interested in buying a stake in the Championship club and there has been a deal on the table with English football's independent regulator since May.
With final checks set to take place, his investment is expected to be given the green light in the coming days, BBC Radio Derby reports.
The proposed deal had raised concerns among human rights campaigners, including Amnesty International, which last month said the independent regulator faced a "defining test" over the investment.
Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority - and someone who is close to the Kingdom's de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman - has been criticised by human rights groups for his role in alleged 'sportswashing'.
#deal #alalshikh #regulator #arabia
4 months ago
Principality Stadium bosses say they are ready to host the proposed heavyweight fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Saudi power broker Turki Alalshikh, who is coordinating the all-British bout, wants to stage the fight in the UK but at a time to maximise a global TV audience.
If the fight was timed to suit prime time audiences in the United States, the main event could start as late as 04:00 GMT.
That would mean Wembley Stadium, the preferred option, would require special permission from the local London authority to remain open beyond the usual 23:00 curfew.
But the Welsh Rugby Union is now ready to step in to host the highly-anticipated fight if Wembley cannot stay open.
Saudi power broker Turki Alalshikh, who is coordinating the all-British bout, wants to stage the fight in the UK but at a time to maximise a global TV audience.
If the fight was timed to suit prime time audiences in the United States, the main event could start as late as 04:00 GMT.
That would mean Wembley Stadium, the preferred option, would require special permission from the local London authority to remain open beyond the usual 23:00 curfew.
But the Welsh Rugby Union is now ready to step in to host the highly-anticipated fight if Wembley cannot stay open.
4 months ago
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are tentatively slated to fight late this year, provided the two win their July tune-ups as it’s expected they will.
But location has become the major concern. The iconic Wembley Stadium in London is the hoped-for and most actually logical venue for the fight, but organizers will need Wembley’s 11 pm curfew to be lifted in order to actually land the bout, as a suitable main event start time is the main concern for money man Turki Alalshikh.
Sky Sports has more specifics on exactly what that issue comes down to, reporting that the 11 pm curfew for the venue would need to be lifted for the event, as a 1 am local time is desired for the main event ring walks.
For those wondering, that translates to an 8 pm Eastern / 5 pm Pacific start time for the main event in the United States. This is important because while the live event absolutely makes the most sense — and really only true sense — being in the United Kingdom, this is obviously a major, worldwide fight for streaming televised purposes, and you want the most viewers possible, whether the fight airs on DAZN or Netflix or whatever else.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said he supports the fight being held in London, but Alalshikh says he’s been told that later start time is “not possible,” with further talks to be held in the hopes of convincing Khan to lift the curfew for the evening.
But location has become the major concern. The iconic Wembley Stadium in London is the hoped-for and most actually logical venue for the fight, but organizers will need Wembley’s 11 pm curfew to be lifted in order to actually land the bout, as a suitable main event start time is the main concern for money man Turki Alalshikh.
Sky Sports has more specifics on exactly what that issue comes down to, reporting that the 11 pm curfew for the venue would need to be lifted for the event, as a 1 am local time is desired for the main event ring walks.
For those wondering, that translates to an 8 pm Eastern / 5 pm Pacific start time for the main event in the United States. This is important because while the live event absolutely makes the most sense — and really only true sense — being in the United Kingdom, this is obviously a major, worldwide fight for streaming televised purposes, and you want the most viewers possible, whether the fight airs on DAZN or Netflix or whatever else.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said he supports the fight being held in London, but Alalshikh says he’s been told that later start time is “not possible,” with further talks to be held in the hopes of convincing Khan to lift the curfew for the evening.
4 months ago
Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua can take place at Wembley Stadium, but only if the fight is scheduled on a friendly time zone for television purposes.
That’s according to Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh, who is pushing for a time slot that will appeal to those in the United States after the fight was announced as signed in April, despite both fighters coming from the UK with the event arguably the biggest in British boxing history.
That could mean a very late start time in London, with the fight starting in the early hours of Sunday morning. And the weather could also prove to be an issue, with November floated as the rough time for the super fight to take place.
"This is for you, we also have Joshua v Fury this year, we don't choose the place until now,” maintained Alalshikh. “I tell you from the beginning, it depends on if England give us all that we need.
“We want the fight in England, but we want the time zone of all the world, especially of America, if they allow us to have Wembley late in the night, we want to do it in England.
That’s according to Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh, who is pushing for a time slot that will appeal to those in the United States after the fight was announced as signed in April, despite both fighters coming from the UK with the event arguably the biggest in British boxing history.
That could mean a very late start time in London, with the fight starting in the early hours of Sunday morning. And the weather could also prove to be an issue, with November floated as the rough time for the super fight to take place.
"This is for you, we also have Joshua v Fury this year, we don't choose the place until now,” maintained Alalshikh. “I tell you from the beginning, it depends on if England give us all that we need.
“We want the fight in England, but we want the time zone of all the world, especially of America, if they allow us to have Wembley late in the night, we want to do it in England.
4 months ago
Terence Crawford is pushing back on Conor McGregor’s claims that he turned down a $200 million offer to fight “The Notorious” in boxing and MMA, but his current comments don’t quite line up with what he said about the fight two years ago.
According to McGregor, Saudi boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh was trying to set up a two-fight $200 million deal where he and “Bud” would compete in both combat sports. A lot of MMA fighters have crossed over into boxing, but it’s much rarer for boxers to cross over into MMA. It didn’t work out well for James Toney, although Ray Mercer did KO former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia in 2009.
As Crawford saw it, there were some talks but an offer never came in.
“That was a lie. It was cap,” Crawford said on the Ariel Helwani Show. “It wasn’t never no $200 million offer. Now they asked me what I do, and I told them. I said, ‘Man, you ain’t about to be kicking on me, Conor.’ Because we was on FaceTime, and I did tell them that. But they didn’t say, ‘Hey, you got $200 million [if] you fight ’em in boxing and fight them in MMA.’ That was never the case.”
“If it was just said to me, then I could say it was a offer. But if if nothing is previewed to me, I can’t say what is what. He’s making up numbers, in my head.”
According to McGregor, Saudi boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh was trying to set up a two-fight $200 million deal where he and “Bud” would compete in both combat sports. A lot of MMA fighters have crossed over into boxing, but it’s much rarer for boxers to cross over into MMA. It didn’t work out well for James Toney, although Ray Mercer did KO former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia in 2009.
As Crawford saw it, there were some talks but an offer never came in.
“That was a lie. It was cap,” Crawford said on the Ariel Helwani Show. “It wasn’t never no $200 million offer. Now they asked me what I do, and I told them. I said, ‘Man, you ain’t about to be kicking on me, Conor.’ Because we was on FaceTime, and I did tell them that. But they didn’t say, ‘Hey, you got $200 million [if] you fight ’em in boxing and fight them in MMA.’ That was never the case.”
“If it was just said to me, then I could say it was a offer. But if if nothing is previewed to me, I can’t say what is what. He’s making up numbers, in my head.”
4 months ago
For the first time in five years, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez won’t be fighting around one of the biggest boxing weekends of the calendar.
Alvarez’s return bout against WBC super middleweight champion Christian Mbili — originally scheduled for Sept. 12 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — has been postponed until late October. Alvarez’s promoter, Turki Alalshikh, announced the news via his Ring Magazine on Saturday.
Alvarez has traditionally owed the month of September for boxing, with many of his biggest events taking place around Mexican Independence Day weekend.
One of the biggest examples of that came last year, when Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) and Terence Crawford battled for the undisputed super middleweight championship in a blockbuster Netflix bout on Sept. 13, 2025. Crawford ultimately upset Alvarez via unanimous decision, breaking Alvarez’s six-fight win streak and sending him toppling out of Uncrowned’s pound-for-pound rankings. Crawford retired shortly thereafter, vacating his WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF super middleweight belts.
A former four-division champion, Alvarez, 35, has remained sidelined since that loss but nonetheless remains one of the biggest stars in world boxing.
Alvarez’s return bout against WBC super middleweight champion Christian Mbili — originally scheduled for Sept. 12 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — has been postponed until late October. Alvarez’s promoter, Turki Alalshikh, announced the news via his Ring Magazine on Saturday.
Alvarez has traditionally owed the month of September for boxing, with many of his biggest events taking place around Mexican Independence Day weekend.
One of the biggest examples of that came last year, when Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) and Terence Crawford battled for the undisputed super middleweight championship in a blockbuster Netflix bout on Sept. 13, 2025. Crawford ultimately upset Alvarez via unanimous decision, breaking Alvarez’s six-fight win streak and sending him toppling out of Uncrowned’s pound-for-pound rankings. Crawford retired shortly thereafter, vacating his WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF super middleweight belts.
A former four-division champion, Alvarez, 35, has remained sidelined since that loss but nonetheless remains one of the biggest stars in world boxing.
