Just two days after the official announcement of the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua fight, Zuffa Boxing’s Dana White admitted that he is now uncertain if the bout will actually happen. The heavyweight clash was confirmed last Thursday following months of negotiations about the location—whether it would be held in New York City, somewhere in the UK, or not at all.
Earlier in the week, White expressed excitement, describing Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs) and Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) as “two of the biggest heavyweights of this generation” and stating that the winner would claim a historic spot in heavyweight boxing. The WBA “Super” heavyweight world title was also expected to be contested.
However, the fight’s future fell into chaos due to a dispute over White’s role as promoter. Joshua’s long-time promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom, claims that White is contractually barred from promoting the event. Meanwhile, Fury revealed he had voluntarily removed a similar restriction in his contract to allow White’s involvement.
This disagreement has been ongoing even before Thursday’s announcement, with Hearn and White publicly clashing over the promotion. Hearn insists that Joshua’s contract hasn’t changed.
After Johnny Fisher’s majority decision win over Michael Pirotton at Zuffa Boxing 11 in London on Saturday, a clearly frustrated White said he had “no idea” if the Fury-Joshua press conference scheduled for Wednesday would proceed or if the fight itself would take place in December. Nevertheless, White remained firm that his role as promoter “has not changed.”
When asked if he would step aside if his presence endangered the fight, White replied defiantly, “That’s not up to me. I’m involved in the f***ing fight.”
As British reporters pressed him for answers about the fight and his role, White grew agitated, swearing and targeting Hearn, accusing him of hampering the event despite supposedly supporting it. White said, “I don’t know if I’ve ever known anybody more full of s than Eddie Hearn. This guy is full of fing s***. I’ve been saying the same since way back when. And yet here we are.”
“I’m tired of it. It’s pretty crazy that the guy heavily invested in this fight, who stands to make a ton of money along with his client, is the one holding it back.”
White also dismissed Zuffa commentator Max Kellerman’s suggestion that he was involved with the event mainly to assist Turki Alalshikh personally rather than as a promoter, calling that idea “weird.” He denied rumors of a potential Manny Pacquiao return in a co-feature against Shakur Stevenson but said Keyshawn Davis vs. Richardson Hitchins is “more than likely” to be added if the show goes ahead.
White expects more clarity about the main event’s fate within a few days and concluded, “This thing is a whole s*** show right now.”
Fan Take: This saga highlights the complex and often messy politics behind major boxing events, showing that even the biggest fights aren’t guaranteed until contracts are ironed out. For fight fans, the uncertainty around Fury vs. Joshua creates tension but also underscores how pivotal deals like this can shape the heavyweight division—and boxing’s future—both inside and outside the ring.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
