Veteran promoter Warren says it's Joshua's job to agree Fury fight / Photo: - - AFP
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Veteran promoter Warren says it's Joshua's job to agree Fury fight
Anthony Joshua has the fate of a long-awaited 'Battle of Britain' clash with fellow former heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury in his hands, according to veteran promoter Frank Warren.
Joshua and Fury are expected to meet on November 20, with Madison Square Garden in New York emerging as a likely location -- although it was originally due to be staged in Britain.
But Fury said on Friday that the fight "doesn't look like it's going to happen" in an angry social media post where he accused Joshua and his promoter, Eddie Hearn of wanting "more money" from Saudi boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh.
Warren, who is Fury's promoter, said that the 38-year-old would fight Joshua anywhere.
Hearn, however, claims that staging the fight in the United States would cost his fighter some money, and he wants compensation to agree to move it from the UK.
"Does AJ (Joshua) want the fight?," Warren said on Wednesday. "I don't know. He had a hard fight last time."
Joshua knocked out the unheralded Kristian Prenga in two rounds in July but only after he was twice floored himself in the opening round.
"He came through it in the end but it was hard," added Warren.
"They're quite right when they say they signed a contract for the fight to take place in the UK.
"Tyson didn't sign up for America but he just wants to get the fight on and get all the politics out the way."
Warren added: "Whether AJ fights Tyson is down to AJ, no-one else has got any say on that.
"I can categorically say that Tyson will fight where he needs to... I think the fight will happen. If it doesn't happen, then it will be one of those that slipped by."
Suggestions that the bout would take place outside the UK have angered many British boxing fans, with Hearn insisting that the fight should be staged at London's Wembley Stadium.
But Warren pointed to two celebrated 1970s fights involving boxing great Muhammad Ali as proof of how clashes between domestic heavyweight rivals can successfully be held abroad.
"Netflix are the broadcaster and in America they have 250 million subscribers and they're putting up the money," he said.
"Think of all the iconic fights of years ago –- The Thrilla in Manila, involving two Americans.
"Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier had a great first fight and everyone wanted that fight –- Las Vegas, New York -- but it ended up in Manila because somebody put up the money for it to go there.
"Rumble in the Jungle... who didn't want to see Ali v George Foreman? And where did it wind up? In Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) because it's where they got their money. This is nothing unusual.
"Of course it should be in Wembley, but at the end of the day they're getting punched in the head, they're old guys as far as boxing is concerned and they're getting a truck load of money. So get it on."
F.Villa--MJ
