Eddie Hearn Says Joshua Turned Down Millions More to Keep Fury Fight in the UK
Anthony Joshua's promoter insists the contract is signed and the fight belongs in Britain, no matter how much money America offers.
The Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua saga has a new chapter, and as usual it is about money and geography.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua's promoter, told Sherdog that Joshua walked away from "many millions more" that were on the table to stage the fight in the United States. The reason? Joshua wants the bout in Britain, and Hearn says a contract for a UK venue has already been signed.
"We've signed our contract. Just honor the contract that we've signed," Hearn said. He pointed to an outpouring of public support on social media as reinforcement: "The support that we've had on social media has made us double down on our principles on this."
The dispute centers on whether the fight takes place at a major UK venue, with Principality Stadium in Cardiff and Wembley both mentioned as candidates, or moves to the United States for a larger site fee. Hearn has pushed back on suggestions that his side is blocking the fight, adding: "We're not trying to hurt the fight."
The standoff puts two of boxing's biggest names in familiar territory. Fury and Joshua have circled each other for years, with negotiations collapsing repeatedly over terms, splits and logistics. Both fighters are past their primes but the commercial demand remains enormous, particularly in the UK where the rivalry carries national weight.
Hearn insists Joshua will make the final call on the venue, but the message from the Joshua camp is clear: the contract says Britain, and they intend to hold Fury's side to it. Whether that position holds or bends under the pressure of American dollars remains to be seen.
Joshua turning down many millions to keep Fury in Britain is the rare boxing story where I side with the fighter and the promoter at the same time. This fight belongs in a UK stadium. It has been a national argument for a decade and the fans who sat through every collapsed negotiation deserve to be in the building.
Hearn's line is the one that matters: we signed a contract, honor it. If the UK venue is in the paperwork, the American site fee is a distraction, not a negotiation. Fury's side pushing for more money after signing is exactly the pattern that has killed this fight before.
Both guys are past their primes and everybody knows it. That is fine. The demand is still enormous and Cardiff or Wembley in December is the right stage. My fear is the same one it always is. Every day this spends in the venue argument is a day closer to 2027, and 2027 is where Fury-Joshua fights go to die.
