Fury Claims Joshua Pulling Out Of December Fight

Tyson Fury says Anthony Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn are attempting to withdraw from their scheduled December 11 bout at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, just days after the fight was officially confirmed.

Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh announced Thursday that the all-British heavyweight showdown had been finalised following months of negotiations. Fury now claims the fight is at risk of falling apart.

Fury Accuses Hearn Of Making Excuses

"Breaking news, Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn are trying to pull out the fight," Fury said in a video statement, per Sky Sports. "They're saying they're not going to fight now. It's mainly to do with Eddie Hearn's ego. He's making up a million different things and threatening 'we're not gonna fight'." He added that Alalshikh is already looking for alternative opponents willing to step in.

Sky Sports News reached out to Matchroom Sport for comment but received no immediate response. The fight represents the biggest domestic heavyweight clash in British boxing history, a bout that has been discussed for years but repeatedly failed to materialise due to negotiation difficulties.

Both former world champions tuned up over the summer with contrasting results. Joshua survived two first-round knockdowns against Kristian Prenga in July before stopping him in the second round. Fury returned from a year-long retirement following back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, outpointing Arslanbek Makhmudov in April at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before adding a seventh-round stoppage of Mariusz Wach in a non-televised Thailand bout.

The December 11 date at Principality Stadium remains on the calendar for now, though Fury's public warning suggests the fight could still collapse before contracts are signed.

Source: skysports.com