An all-British heavyweight fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua scheduled for later this year is looking less and less likely to happen, according to Sky Sports boxing expert Johnny Nelson.
The proposed blockbuster bout between the two rival heavyweights has been stuck in negotiations in recent months, with disagreements over the fight location causing a prolonged stalemate. Promoter Eddie Hearn revealed last week that talks have reopened to stage the fight at Wembley Stadium in London, although Madison Square Garden in New York is also being considered as a potential venue.
Nelson, a former world cruiserweight champion who currently serves as a television analyst and columnist for Sky Sports, believes the fight will fail to materialise unless Fury's team accepts Joshua's contractual demands in full.
Contract disputes and venue negotiations
According to Hearn, Joshua has already signed a contract to fight Fury at Wembley Stadium. However, disputes over whether the bout takes place in the United Kingdom or the United States have kept the event in limbo.
Joshua is promoted by Matchroom Boxing, the sports promotion company headed by Hearn. Nelson argued that Joshua and his promotional team have every reason to stand their ground during negotiations rather than compromise on agreed terms.
"No, I don't [think Fury vs Joshua will happen]," Nelson told Sky Sports. "Unless the other side decides to lay down and say: 'You know what, we'll give you what you want'. No, I don't."
Nelson added that Joshua's team is taking a firm stance because a contract has already been executed. "I think Anthony Joshua and [his promotional team] Matchroom Boxing have every reason to stand their ground," Nelson said. "Secondly, because they've signed a contract and so, if they're going to embark on this fight, they're going to say: 'This is what we asked for; if you don't want to do it, that's a you problem'."
Vulnerabilities in ring performance
Beyond contractual terms, Nelson pointed to Joshua's recent ring performance as a key factor driving his team's uncompromising position. In his comeback win over Kristian Prenga, the unified champion displayed visible vulnerabilities and was floored twice during the bout.
Joshua, a 2012 Olympic super-heavyweight gold medallist who went on to become a two-time unified world heavyweight champion holding the WBA, IBF, and WBO titles, did not deliver a convincing display against Prenga despite securing victory.
Nelson stated that those knockdowns have left Joshua's team cautious about taking any unnecessary risks outside the ring. "Firstly, because you look at Anthony Joshua's last performance; that doesn't fill you with confidence," Nelson said. "If I were Team AJ, I'd do the same, because AJ's performance didn't fill me with complete and utter belief that this will go our way."
Nelson suggested that the situation would be viewed differently if Fury had put in a shaky performance in his previous outing. "I'm quite sure if it was the other way around and Tyson Fury was the one who performed as AJ did in his last fight, even though he fought the night before, I'm quite sure this wouldn't be as much of an issue," Nelson said. "I think it just adds to the issue."
Political efforts and stadium curfew concerns
In an effort to keep the fight in Great Britain, Hearn confirmed he held fresh talks with London Mayor Sadiq Khan to secure Wembley Stadium as the host venue. Wembley Stadium, England's national stadium located in Brent, north-west London, has a seating capacity of 90,000 and is subject to strict municipal licensing curfews for evening events.
Khan, who has served as Mayor of London since 2016, expressed strong backing for bringing the major sports event to the UK capital. According to Nelson, Khan said: "We're going to do everything possible to make this happen and bring this business to the UK."
However, Nelson stressed that political support may not be enough to overcome the negotiation breakdown unless Saudi organizer Turki Alalshikh and Fury agree to Joshua's terms. Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, has become the leading financier and organizer of major international boxing events.
"Anthony Joshua has said to Eddie Hearn, 'We've got a contract; stick to the contract. No nudging; this is what we're doing,'" Nelson explained. "Unless Turki Alalshikh [who is organising the fight] and Tyson [Fury], say: 'All right, let's do this.' I think that the chance of the fight happening is less and less."
Management concerns and alternative match-ups
Concerns about the fight's status are also shared by Fury's management team. Spencer Brown, manager for Tyson Fury, admitted he is concerned about the ongoing delay in officially announcing the contest for later this year.
Fury, a Manchester-born heavyweight known as "The Gypsy King" who previously held the WBC and unified world titles, has also been linked with alternative options. Undisputed Ukrainian heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and Fury recently took to social media to tease a potential trilogy match-up between the two fighters.
Usyk previously defeated both Joshua and Fury in championship bouts. With negotiations for the all-British showdown stalled and rival fight options emerging online, Nelson reiterated his view that the fight is slipping away.
