Fury-Joshua venue unclear, but Hearn says Zuffa locked out

Tyson Fury's signed contract to fight Anthony Joshua does not require a U.K. venue, BoxingScene has learned, though Joshua's deal mandates the bout take place exclusively in Britain.

Eddie Hearn, who promotes Joshua, told reporters Friday that while Fury's agreement with Saudi financier Turki Alalshikh leaves the location open, Joshua's side locked in a U.K. stipulation from the start. That discrepancy could force fresh talks if Alalshikh wants the September superfight moved abroad. Hearn noted that both contracts name him and Frank Warren as promoters of record — and explicitly bar Dana White's Zuffa Boxing from any involvement.

White, Zuffa Boxing blocked from promotional role

"Specifically in the contract it says Dana White, Zuffa cannot have any promotional involvement in the show," Hearn said at the weigh-in for Jesse Rodriguez-Antonio Vargas in Phoenix. White, whose Zuffa entity is 60 percent owned by Alalshijk, claimed last week he would promote the fight and hinted at a possible U.S. venue. Boxing officials told BoxingScene that SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas have been floated internally.

Hearn acknowledged Alalshikh's leverage as the bout's financier but stressed any venue change would trigger renegotiation. "If Turki Alalshikh wants to hold the fight in another country, that's not necessarily a problem, but contractually he cannot do that," Hearn said. Joshua signed expecting a U.K. date, and the promoter repeated that Zuffa's exclusion was written into both fighters' deals with the Saudis.

Fury faces a Dublin tune-up August 1, while Joshua meets Kristian Prenga on July 25. The winner of their September clash inherits lineal bragging rights and a path to the undisputed heavyweight title picture.

Source: boxingscene.com