Tyson Fury has turned up the heat on Anthony Joshua, branding his long-time rival a “coward” as the pair endure a tense wait over whether their long-discussed all-British heavyweight showdown will finally be signed off.
The fight, pencilled in for November, was supposed to be the moment two eras of British heavyweight boxing collided under one roof. Instead, it is stuck in limbo, with the venue row threatening to drag the whole thing back into the realms of fantasy.
Venue wrangle stalls blockbuster
Joshua, a two-time unified world champion, has already put pen to paper on a contract for the bout to take place in the United Kingdom. His promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom, is on record saying those contracts would need to be renegotiated if the contest moves outside Britain.
That is precisely where the organisers are looking. The money and glitz of the United States remain the preferred option for those trying to stage the event, with venues in Las Vegas and New York in the frame. Until that tug-of-war is resolved, the November date hangs by a thread.
As the negotiations drag, Fury’s patience has snapped.
Fury: “You’re being a coward”
Speaking on Wednesday, the 38-year-old insisted he has agreed to every location put in front of him and accused Joshua of stringing the public along.
“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 said. “Listen, I've said yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, every single time. Zero stipulations.”
Then came the punchline.
“The facts are 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.
You’ve had many opportunities to fight me, but deep down you've never really wanted it, so let's see if you're going to man up for a final time.”
The outburst follows Fury’s win over journeyman Mariusz Wach last month, a stay-busy outing designed to keep the path clear for a blockbuster with Joshua. That victory kept his side of the bargain intact. Now, he is making it clear he believes the hold-up is on the other side of the table.
Taunts with Tyson and a signed commitment
Fury did not stop at one message. In a separate post, he appeared alongside former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, using the presence of the American legend to twist the knife a little deeper into Joshua, now 36.
Channelling Tyson’s famous line, Fury told his fellow Brit to “sign the contract, big boy”, a deliberate mix of homage and provocation aimed at forcing Joshua’s hand in public.
From Fury’s camp, the message is that their man has already done his part. Frank Warren, of Queensbury, who promotes Fury, was emphatic when speaking to Sky Sports News.
“It is signed by Tyson,” Warren said. “Tyson is signed up for the fight and agreed for the fight.”
So Fury says yes to every city. Warren says the contract is signed. Joshua’s camp insists any move away from a UK venue needs fresh paperwork. The clock keeps ticking on November.
At some point, one of Britain’s heavyweight giants will have to give ground — or the fight that has defined an era without ever being made will drift, again, into what-might-have-been.
