Tyson Fury contract allows U.S. venue for Joshua fight

Tyson Fury's signed contract to face Anthony Joshua does not lock the superfight to a U.K. venue, BoxingScene has learned, opening the door to potential renegotiations over where the bout lands.

Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn told the outlet his fighter's deal explicitly requires the bout take place in Britain, while Fury's contract contains no such stipulation. Both agreements, Hearn said, share one clause: UFC president Dana White and the new Zuffa Boxing venture are barred from promotional involvement. "Specifically in the contract it says Dana White, Zuffa cannot have any promotional involvement in the show," Hearn said Friday at a weigh-in in Arizona.

What White's Zuffa claim means for Joshua-Fury venue

White told reporters last week he would be promoting the fight and hinted it might leave the U.K., despite Saudi boxing financier Turki Alalshikh owning 60 percent of Zuffa. Hearn speculated Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium could be a target, while two boxing officials told BoxingScene that Alalshikh floated SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles as a possibility.

Both fighters have separate tune-ups scheduled first. Fury faces an August 1 bout in Dublin, while Joshua meets Kristian Prenga on July 25. The contracts exist between Alalshikh, Saudi events planner Sela, and the two heavyweights, with Hearn and Frank Warren named as promoters of record for the main event.

Hearn acknowledged Alalshikh could push for a venue change, but not without fresh talks. "If Turki Alalshikh wants to hold the fight in another country, that's not necessarily a problem, but contractually he cannot do that," he said. "We'd have to go through a new process, start a new negotiation and make sure that's good with Anthony Joshua."

The promoter dismissed White's public claims as posturing tied to Zuffa's rocky start. "They're trying to latch onto this," Hearn said. "The contract's the contract. He won't have any promotional involvement."

Source: boxingscene.com