After weeks of wrangling, it looks like the biggest fight in British boxing history will take place in Britain after all
According to Eddie Hearn, his bitter American rival, Dana White, has been defeated over the issue of where Joshua vs Fury takes place.
British fans were furious when they heard that this all-British contest, that's been ten years in the making, was heading to New York. Just to suit Netflix, which is mainly interested in its US audience.
Eddie said he'd signed a contract with Sela, the Saudi outfit that's bankrolling the fight, that specifies a UK venue.
But then Dana White, whose Zuffa Promotions is backed by Sela, said he was the promoter, and the fight would be in the US.
Hearn told IFL TV that TKO, which is partnered with White, privately approached AJ to offer him millions more dollars to persuade him to fly to New York for the fight. Hearn said that Joshua had always wanted the fight in Britain but had been willing to negotiate on the issue. But the "back door" approach that excluded his long-time promoter Hearn, actually worked against the Americans.
Hearn said AJ decided to stick to the original contract and reject the extra cash.
There's been no official announcement - that will come from the Saudi sports supremo, Turki Al-Sheikh - but Hearn said that Cardiff's Principality Stadium is the likely UK venue. It has an advantage over Wembley in London, in that it has a retractable roof. That will be essential for a fight that will be staged in the middle of a British winter.
Hearn always says that AJ is his boss and that he merely follows his instructions. But Hearn would have been anxious to prevent White taking control of the promotion. Dana entered boxing with the intention of taking it over and immediately targeted Hearn by poaching some of his biggest stars.
AJ boxing under the Zuffa banner would have been a humiliation for the British promoter.
Hearn said he is not going to rub Dana's nose in his failure, but then proceeded to do just that. He said that boxing is no place for a "control freak" like White. Boxing simply can't be controlled - it usually involves a series of compromises, and the rough must be taken with the smooth.
I've never really cared where the fight takes place as long as it actually happens. Did people complain that Mike Tyson defended his world title against fellow American, Buster Douglas in Tokyo? Some of the biggest fights of recent years took place in Riyadh and Jeddah - places with no boxing heritage.
Roy Jones Jr said people in the US don't care about AJ vs Fury. US boxing fans may not care, but Roy is forgetting that the two men have now transcended the sport and have a large global following of casual fans.
In any case, many British boxing fans say they have no interest in the fight, because both men are well past their best. But it's precisely because they are more vulnerable now that this fight could deliver some unforgettable drama. Could we witness a classic in Cardiff?
