Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury date and venue all but confirmed as controversial choice made for £100m superfight

ANTHONY JOSHUA and Tyson Fury’s Battle of Britain could be switched to NEW YORK – in the middle of the night for fans over here. The £100MILLION blockbuster looks set for Madison Square Garden later this year, potentially November 14, which would be a massive blow to UK boxing lovers. Tyson Fury’s mammoth clash with Anthony Joshua is set to head to New York Credit: Getty The bout could controversially be held at Madison Square Garden Credit: Getty And former champ Tony Bellew claims it is “disgraceful” most British fight fans would be forced to watch on TV in the early hours — and not at Wembley. Both heavyweights have signed up for boxing’s richest-ever bout to be staged in this country, with the iconic London stadium the preferred venue. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! ANTHONY JOSHUA VS KRISTIAN PRENGA LIVE COVERAGE But Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn says Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh, Netflix and TKO president Nick Khan all favour the world-famous Manhattan arena. It would be a dramatic twist for a fight billed as the biggest in British boxing history. READ MORE ON ANTHONY JOSHUA Ex-WBC cruiserweight champion Bellew blasted: “It’s disgraceful. American boxing is dead. “They had a WBC heavyweight world champ for ten years in Deontay Wilder and no one cared. “They want what we’ve got, the best crowds and the most passionate fans in the world. It should be with us.” CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Night view of Madison Square Garden, a famous multi-purpose arena in Midtown Manhattan on October 13, 2019 in New York Credit: Getty Joshua, 36, would return to the venue where he lost his world titles to Andy Ruiz Jr in May 2019. Most read in Sport Fury has never headlined Madison Square Garden, having fought only Steve Cunningham in the smaller theatre there in 2013. The epic clash would instead fill the famous 20,000-seat arena. New York is also seen as a perfect backdrop for Netflix and TKO to promote this fight. Saudi Arabia has helped transform British boxing by funding many of its biggest clashes. Now it is ready to use this fight to cash in further on the American sports market. Joshua has repeatedly said he wants a London fight but Fury, 37, insists he is not fussed where the grudge match is held. Hearn — AJ’s long-time promoter — told SunSport that he is battling to keep the bout in Britain. He said: “That’s where the fight should take place” and said the date may have to change if the fight was outside of the UK. Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga - all the info Anthony Joshua faces Kristian Prenga in his huge comeback fight Tyson Fury’s manager Spencer Brown agreed with Hearn, stating he’d be “ecstatic” if the fight was at Wembley, but revealed it could be tough because of the money. Asked about the potential of Madison Square Garden hosting, he told SunSport: “You must know more than me. “It’s all about money, isn’t it? It’s the money that’s got to be found. “It’s enormous amounts of money, not just for the fighters, for the undercard, for Wembley, for the infrastructure. It’s huge. “You know, just bringing fighters in, the undercard’s going to be expensive. “I understand what people are moaning about. I get it. “But, and I’m one of them. I want it to be at Wembley. If it’s at Wembley, I’ll be ecstatic. “It’ll be a Christmas present for me.” He joked he’d be ringing new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to get the fight in the UK and said “there is still hope” that Wembley hosts. Eddie Hearn says he wants the fight to take place in the UK Credit: Getty The Home of Boxing in 2026 There's a massive year of boxing ahead! It’s shaping up to be a blockbuster year of action inside the boxing ring. Anthony Joshua returns to the ring in July to face Kristian Prenga ahead of a potential blockbuster bout against Tyson Fury later in the year. The Gypsy King has beaten Mariusz Wach in his second fight of the year to hold up his end of the deal with AJ. And Moses Itauma returns for his toughest fight yet against Filip Hrgovic in August. Here’s all the big fights coming up… July Sat 25 – Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga – DAZN PPV Sun 26 – Errol Spence Jr vs Tim Tszyu August Sat 1 – Pierce O’Leary vs Mark Chamberlain – DAZN Sat 15 – Claressa Shields vs Kaye Scott – DAZN Sat 29 – Moses Itauma vs Filip Hrgovic – DAZN September Sat 12 – Conor Benn vs Ryan Garcia – DAZN *If you click a link in this boxout, we will earn affiliate revenue. But those behind the deal believe a prime-time US broadcast on Netflix would help deliver the biggest audience. And they are confident that British fans will still tune in for a fight staged in the early hours. Even if Wembley hosts it, UK fans could still face an early-morning finish — as a later licence has been discussed with London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan. Hearn said: “If it is here, we’re probably going to need a later start time.” But he added: “The reality is they want the fight in the US.” Asked where he might fight AJ, Fury said: “Who the f*** knows. Is it Vegas? New York? Ireland? Is it going to be London?” 1 comment1