Warren Says Fury-Joshua Fight Will Still Go Ahead in Cardiff

Boxing promoter Frank Warren said on Saturday that he expects the planned Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua bout to go ahead as scheduled at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on December 11, even though a dispute involving Eddie Hearn and Dana White had threatened to derail it.¹

A deal in doubt

On Thursday, organisers confirmed that Fury and Joshua would face each other on December 11 at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, a bout billed as the biggest fight in British boxing history. That announcement listed Dana White and Turki Alalshikh's The Ring as the fight's promoters, leaving out Matchroom's Eddie Hearn and Queensberry's Frank Warren.²⁷³

Within 24 hours, uncertainty had emerged. Tyson Fury claimed his scheduled fight against Joshua was in jeopardy, accusing Joshua and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, of trying to pull out. Fury also posted social media videos criticizing Hearn's ego and calling Joshua a "yellow-bellied coward".⁷⁴

Dana White — the American promoter best known for leading the UFC before branching into boxing — said he was uncertain whether the fight would go forward, and equally unsure if Wednesday's planned news conference would occur.³¹

Dispute over promotion

At the centre of the disagreement is the question of who is entitled to promote the fight. In a press release, Netflix identified White as a co-promoter, and both White and his firm, Zuffa Boxing, are listed alongside The Ring — owned by Saudi Arabia and Turki al-Sheikh — as co-promoters of the fight. Eddie Hearn has been equally adamant that White would not be involved, telling IFL TV that White cannot be involved with the fight.¹⁴²⁸

Hearn disputes the legitimacy of White's involvement in the showdown. According to Eddie Hearn, "Netflix clearly didn't get the memo," and he accused White of scheming to shift the fight to America at the expense of British fans, telling him to abandon the effort.¹⁸

Fury, for his part, said Hearn cost them the biggest fight in boxing history, and accused Hearn of "making up a million different things," according to the Guardian.¹

From New York to Cardiff

For months, it appeared the bout would take place at New York's Madison Square Garden in November. Hearn and Joshua pushed back against the New York venue, citing an original contract requiring the fight to occur in the UK as well as worries over tax consequences of Joshua boxing in the US. After a lengthy impasse, the venue shifted to Cardiff's Principality Stadium, finalized Thursday when the city council approved a 2am start time.¹⁴

According to Warren, the 2am start time suits Netflix and its dominant home market in the United States. He said the late start time mirrors previous bouts featuring Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton, pointing to Calzaghe's 2007 clash with Mikkel Kessler, which similarly began during the pre-dawn hours.¹⁴

Warren's confidence

Warren, who has promoted Fury for years, said he believes the fight will still happen because the Saudis are putting up the money and would sue if it does not take place. He added that both fighters are anticipated to attend the initial official press conference, set for Wednesday evening in London.¹⁴

Warren expressed irritation over Hearn's most recent response, attributing it to ego. He said he worked with Sela in securing the Cardiff venue and dealing with local authorities, but kept his distance from the separate negotiations between Hearn, al-Sheikh and White. A spokesperson for Matchroom Sport responded "no comment" when contacted by the Guardian.¹⁴

Talk of a Fury-Joshua matchup has circulated for over a decade, repeatedly delayed and called off along the way. Reports suggest organisers have already explored alternative fights for the December date, including Fury against David Benavidez or Terence Crawford against Ryan Garcia, with Fury sharing a promotional poster for a substitute bout against Benavidez in Cardiff.¹⁷