Fury contract allows venue flexibility, but Hearn bars Zuffa from AJ fight

Tyson Fury's signed contract to face Anthony Joshua does not require the fight to take place in the U.K., BoxingScene has learned, though promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed Joshua's agreement contains an exclusive venue clause tying the bout to Britain.

Hearn told reporters at Friday's weigh-in for Jesse Rodriguez versus Antonio Vargas that Joshua's contract with Saudi financier Turki Alalshikh explicitly states the fight must happen in the U.K. The discrepancy between the two fighters' agreements could force fresh negotiations if Alalshikh pushes for a venue change, with boxing officials telling BoxingScene that SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles has been floated as a potential site.

White and Zuffa explicitly excluded from promotional duties

Both contracts name Hearn and Frank Warren as promoters of record and bar any involvement from Zuffa Boxing or UFC president Dana White, according to Hearn. White claimed last week he would promote the fight and hinted it might leave the U.K., but Hearn said those statements ignore the binding language in both deals. "Specifically in the contract it says Dana White, Zuffa cannot have any promotional involvement in the show," Hearn said. "Dana doesn't know about the contract for the show that we signed and negotiated."

Hearn noted that Alalshikh owns 60 per cent of Zuffa Boxing but cannot unilaterally override the promotional exclusions. While Hearn acknowledged a venue shift is theoretically possible, he said any such move would require renegotiation with Joshua's camp and stressed the fight was signed with the expectation of a U.K. staging. "If Turki Alalshikh wants to hold the fight in another country, that's not necessarily a problem, but contractually he cannot do that," he added.

Joshua faces Kristian Prenga on July 25, while Fury meets an unnamed opponent August 1 in Dublin before the two heavyweights collide later this year.

Source: boxingscene.com