Recently, there have been increasing reports that the “Battle of Britain” between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, scheduled for November, is set to take place in the U.S. However, promoter Eddie Hearn has a different take on the matter.
The planned heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua continues to spark plenty of speculation. The road to the “AJ” vs. Fury fight has been anything but easy from the start. While contracts have been signed stipulating that the two British rivals are finally set to face off in late 2026, likely in November, little else has been confirmed.
Other tasks first
First, the rivals still have to fight a few “stay-busy” bouts. While Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs) faces underdog Kristian Prenga (20-1, 20 KOs) in Saudi Arabia on July 25, Fury (35-2-1, 24 KOs) is set to share the ring with Nelson Hysa in August. The 41-year-old Hysa (24-0, 22 KOs), also known as the “Albanian Eagle,” was most recently being discussed as a potential opponent for Agit Kabayel. But in the end, the German heavyweight star faced Poland’s Damian Knyba in Oberhausen in January.
If the two former champions successfully complete their assigned tasks, the main question that remains is where the eagerly anticipated “Battle of Britain” will take place. It also seems unclear who the official organizer actually is.
What role does Dana White play?
Eddie Hearn came under fire from Dana White last weekend, as reported by BoxingScene. The head of Zuffa Boxing suggested that it was he—and not Hearn or Fury’s promoter Frank Warren—who, alongside financier Turki Al-Sheikh, was pulling the most important strings behind the scenes.
Since then, there has been speculation that the match will take place in the U.S. rather than in the U.K. The SiFo Stadium in Los Angeles has been mentioned as a possible venue. One of the most spectacular sports venues in the world, it can accommodate up to 100,000 spectators and is currently one of the host venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Hearn said last week that Joshua vs. Fury could take place in the U.S., as weather conditions there are less unpredictable toward the end of the year than in the UK. However, he has now suggested that certain clauses in the signed contracts would need to be amended for the mega-fight to be held overseas.
“The contract expressly provides that …”
“There have been some rumors that the fight might take place in the U.S.,” Hearn clarified to BoxingScene. “The contract explicitly states that the fight must take place in the UK.” At this time, there is no official confirmation to the contrary.
In any case, it seems unusual that neither the promoter from Matchroom (Hearn) nor the one from Queensberry (Warren) is reportedly in charge of the Battle of Britain, but rather Zuffa boss White. On the other hand, it would be anything but unusual for such a mega-fight to take place on the island this fall. After all, bad weather is no reason for local boxing fans to stay away from such a boxing event. In any case, the tug-of-war over Joshua vs. Fury will remain exciting in the coming weeks.
Text: Frank Schwantes