Tyson Fury has claimed his long-awaited heavyweight fight against British rival Anthony Joshua is in serious doubt after Joshua and his promotional team asked for more money ahead of a proposed November bout at Madison Square Garden in New York.
However, Sky Sports understands that Joshua has already signed a contract for the clash, and his promotional agency Matchroom is continuing to work towards an official announcement.
Fury expressed his frustration in a video posted on social media, accusing Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn of risking the blockbuster event through financial demands.
"Quick update for you. It doesn't look like they are going to sign the fight and it doesn't look like it is going to happen all because Eddie Hearn and that want more money," Fury said.
The heavyweight targeted Hearn and Joshua over their prior business deals with Saudi Arabia's Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, who has funded major boxing events across the globe.
"They have already had that much money off Turki over the last few years Eddie and AJ, they have had boxing deals, they have had darts deals, they have had snooker deals, they have had everything," Fury said.
"And yet, they have got the audacity and cheek of flea-bitten rats to ask for more money from old Turki that you have had combined over the last couple of years," Fury added, before closing his message with: "Keep on running you cowards."
Money disputes and promotional deals
Hearn serves as the chairman of Matchroom Sport, a major promotional company that operates across professional boxing, professional darts, and world snooker. Over recent years, Alalshikh has emerged as a central figure in international sports, bankrolling major fight cards in Saudi Arabia and worldwide.
Fury and Joshua represent two of the most prominent figures in modern heavyweight boxing. Fury is a former world champion who remains a dominant heavyweight contender, while Joshua previously held the unified WBA, IBF, and WBO world titles twice.
Madison Square Garden venue and fight outlook
Negotiations between the two camps have centered on staging the long-anticipated bout in November at Madison Square Garden. Located in Midtown Manhattan, the famous venue has hosted iconic fights throughout boxing history, including the 1971 contest between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
A showdown between the two British fighters has been negotiated multiple times over recent years, with boxing fans viewing the pairing as a defining domestic rivalry.
Despite Fury's claims on social media, Matchroom is continuing its efforts to finalize the event so an official fight announcement can be released.
