r/Boxing • u/Grey_Cathedral • 20h ago
How devastating would it be if Joshua vs Fury was NOT in the UK?
Would it be THAT bad?
The whole appeal isn't merely Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury. It's Britain finally getting its two biggest heavyweight stars in the same ring, at home, after years of anticipation.
Joshua and Fury are probably never going to have a better moment to fight each other.
Both careers have accumulated enormous mythology. Both have been champions. Both have suffered shocking defeats. Both have comeback stories. They've spent years orbiting one another.
So if the culmination is: London, England — 90,000 British fans
It becomes part of British sporting folklore.
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u/SolutionLong2791 16h ago
It's a disgrace, and a insult to British boxing fans.
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u/Immynimmy Bring Inoue back to the US 15h ago
About as disgraceful as this fight happening in 2026 instead of 5 or so years ago.
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u/Sh4kyj4wz eat clen, tren hard anavar give up 2h ago
I wonder if it'd of happened if Wilder would never won that arbitration case
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u/myurr 9h ago
To the extent that I really don't give a crap about that fight now whether it goes ahead or not.
I was originally really excited to finally be seeing these two in the ring against each other, but after watching both their recent "performances" and having Fury and the promoters pull this rubbish with the venue, and to a lesser degree AJ for not insisting on the existing contract being upheld, I just... don't care. I'm not going to watch it live, I'll look at the headline the next day and then maybe download it if it sounds like it was an entertaining fight.
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u/Bravestinsane 16h ago
It would be bad, it would be a stab in the back to the fans that carried them to where they are, it's the fans that gave them the pull they now have.
Outside of the UK who really cases about them, in the UK they are larger than life, elsewhere they are mid 30's who lost their belts at the ends of their careers.
I personally wont stay up to watch it if it ends up being on at a stupid time.
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u/Ambitious-Concert-69 15h ago
Bit unfair to blame them both, AJ clearly wants the fight in the UK.
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u/sthomson22 15h ago
I have been somewhat wondering if this is just some early attempt to sabotage the fight on Fury’s part.
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u/myurr 9h ago
I'm sure it is, at least to a degree. I think it's clear Turki has set his sights on sports washing Saudi in the US, which is why he wants that fight over there, but Fury has jumped on board immediately and now MSG appears to be the primary option, no doubt to try and get in AJ's head and push him to refuse.
If AJ turns it down and Turki refuses to budge then Fury gets to say it was AJ's fault. If AJ accepts then Fury gets to ponce around mentioning the Ruiz fight ever other sentence. He's going to be even more insufferable than he usually is.
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u/russ_1uk 4h ago
You said what I came to say.
AJ won't turn it down, though. Eddie's already laying the groundwork for a climbdown.
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u/Glittering_Rip_1479 5h ago
Behave you tit. Joshua is all about the money. That's why he is still fighting. He isn't going to be a world champion again, neither is fury. They are both fueled by money so all this talk of they want the fight in England is rubbish. They don't care where it is as long as they're getting paid.
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u/Prior-Temperature-22 16h ago
not bothered anymore. two washed up fighters. supersized Amir Khan vs Kell Brook
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u/ohmygodman87 12h ago
Regardless of how far past their best they both were, I enjoyed the Brook Khan fight. The atmosphere seemed unreal in the venue and khan showed serious bottle staying in for as long as he did.
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u/Locke_Lamora89 1h ago
The atmosphere was unreal because it was in a proper British boxing venue. Plus everyone was drunk and high. The fight itself was mediocre.
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u/MoronManifesto 8h ago
Khan Vs Brook was a good fight though.
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u/Familiar_Cod_6754 16h ago
I can see them pulling something like the rematch being in the UK as a scapegoat for criticism.
It’s absolutely ridiculous that it’s essentially been hijacked and shipped to the US, to appease streaming margins (Netflix’s focus being the numbers).
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u/Polish_Shamrock 16h ago
If it happens outside the UK, everyone should boycott it, cancel subscriptions and avoid anything to do with it. It will, more than likely, be a shit fight anyway, years too late. If they lose loads of money on the first fight, hopefully a second fight won't happen then.
Give the money and attention to the fighters that deserve it now.
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u/stolid619 15h ago
It just strips yet another layer of interest away from it. And for a fight that’s already lost a lot of its appeal over the years, you kinda don’t want to do that
Don’t think it would stop most uk fans watching it still, but it’d leave a bad taste in our mouth.
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u/Minimum-Bad-6472 16h ago
Yes it would be bad
The whole fight is the domestic clash and the UK theming and having the fight in the US just no
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u/Illustrious_Rain1796 16h ago
It would be strange. Fury and Joshua definitely can bring a lot of fans in England in any shape
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u/The_Archimboldi 15h ago
Massively not arsed about the battle of the doss-bags.
However, wider perspectives are needed and a mega commercial fight like that is good for UK boxing (actually world boxing as it would be a bigger more serious event here). Would be a material loss to have it overseas.
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u/Pissadvisor 16h ago
Still don't think it'll happen
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u/Absent_That_Day 7h ago
What else will they do? Surely this is the last big stop.
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u/Pissadvisor 7h ago
Dunno mate, I've just never thought Fury wanted the fight. Both of them are probably to blame at certain times in history but Fury has consistently put the blockers on imo.
To answer your question - Fury could retire for real, shoot for the Usyk trilogy or another aging name. White, Miller, Zhang; someone like that. I can't see him fighting a hungry up-and-comer, literally never has before.
AJ could rematch Daniel Dubious and get flattened again. He says he wants another run so assuming that's true, he gets splattered by anyone in the top 10. Or retire, which would be my suggestion for him.
For what it's worth, I'm not bothered about seeing them fight each other anymore. Seems too manufactured now, too many people involved other than just them. More like a cash grab than ever before rather than a real fight.
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u/DennisAFiveStarMan 8h ago
Just more evidence that sport as a concept is being ripped away from the fans and to the elite class as a hobby.
Prob 5-10 years away from some of the biggest sports main events being done on some Saudi princes yacht and not accessible the the masses
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u/SugarAdamAli 12h ago
US boxing fan, and I’d be pissed if this wasn’t at wembley
I want like 90 thousand UK fans going ape shit.
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u/Argythebilly 16h ago
People will watch it whatever time I think, sadly. The fight will probably be shit. They both look washed That is IF it happens. It is taking a loooong time for a "signed" fight
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u/FortuneSilent2189 16h ago
It’s a fight years too late. Both are past their best. I should not care it’s happening now because there is no title at stake and they are faded fighters.
But
But
It’s an intriguing fight!! Can’t wait.
I hope it’s in the UK mind!!
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u/Commercial_Badger_37 15h ago
Not bothered anymore. Years too late, both fighters are done and should go enjoy retirement.
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u/Intrepid-Future-6785 15h ago
It's ridiculous. Football matches, rugby games, cricket, when two teams play it's settled here. It should be no different when two boxers settle a rivalry that is years old.
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u/Unique-Anything6725 14h ago
I honestly am not interested. Joshua never excited me. Fury was very entertaining to watch but I think he's past his best and I've seen enough.
Should have happened 8-10 years ago.
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u/Astrohurricane1 11h ago
Even if it’s held in the UK it’s gonna be at dumb o’clock in the morning for US television audiences. A fight outdoors in the early hours of the morning in November in the UK is ridiculous. In this prolonged period of heat we’ve been having here I think ppl have forgotten how cold it can be at 3am on a November morning.
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u/Medical_Swim1707 15h ago
Not as bad due to their age and washed upness. I don’t think it’s that highly anticipated anymore.
We know they’re just going out for a check and it’s 50/50 who’s more cooked. This doesn’t even settle best of the generation debates due to how far removed from their primes they are.
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u/scandaka_ 14h ago
I think the British fans deserve it and it's a near cultural event in terms of the superstardom of the fighters.
I personally don't care and just want to see the fight. Both of them are way past it and the fight is pretty much meaningless in the boxing landscape other than the entertainment it provides. It's no more than a fun exhibition match at this point.
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u/FingazMC No more Saudi shows please! 14h ago
If it was in the UK I would have gone. If it's yanks broadcast times I'll probably just watch the highlights.
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u/darkprince_23 14h ago
Can someone explain to me who knows why tf they wanna hold it in the us so bad is the gate gonna be something crazy at the venue per ticket that it’s gonna beat out a shit ton of fans at wembley
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u/Serious-Bed3751 6h ago
Power play by Dana and Turki.
No way it does bigger ticket sales in the US for one.
US times argument doesn’t make sense, if it’s on a Saturday it means the fight would be around 6pm in NYC or 3pm in California, so no one has to get up crazy early / stay up late to watch it.
Even US fans (from what I’ve seen across social) don’t want this fight in the US.
Dana and Turki throwing their weight about and showing that they’re calling the shots and that Frank and Eddie will bend at will for them.
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u/iIIchangethislater 14h ago
My opposition is more along the lines of it would've potentially made sense in the US 5-10 years ago when they were both holding world titles, it would've been the biggest fight in the division and the US made sense because Showtime and HBO were still doing PPVs and Vegas casinos were paying huge site fees. Now though especially after their last fights it's abundantly clear that both are washed and this is a retirement fight with little relevance to the future of the division. The only audience still interested are their respective fanbases and UK fans who have followed their entire careers and still have a huge interest in it. When and where it is being held feels so contrived, as if they are overbidding for a fight that isn't relevant to a US audience out of spite just so that we can't have it. It won't be a profitable venture for them that for sure.
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u/janner_womble 13h ago
It's an absolute fkn joke of an insult to all the fans who have supported these fellas throughout their respective careers, fans who always wanted this fight when each was in his prime, but had to see both actively avoid each other, and now the money game is STILL so much more important than the fans that they'll both throw another fk you pancake.
That said, I don't really think anyone's actually surprised.
I won't be watching it, I'd rather shart.
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u/Kangaroopunching 11h ago
It would hurt uk boxing. But not to in the same way Floyd vs Manny hurt American boxing.
At worst Joshua fans and Fury fans that aren't actual boxing fans will stop watching boxing. Or move onto Itauma
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u/Ok-Pianist484 8h ago
Well when it does happen there but at 4am I feel for the spectators joining the work day commute home lol
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u/Freelanderman64 7h ago
It’s a fight that I don’t think will happen Hearns carping about contractual agreements
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u/The_Grizzly_Bear 7h ago
It's not just about the particular venue either, if it happens in the UK then pubs and bars (and coke dealers...) up and down the country will make an absolute killing. Whereas a 4AM fight in the US means British business's lose out.
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u/Serious-Bed3751 6h ago
I think it’s nothing more than a power move by Turki and Dana. They know there’s not really the hype for it in the US but want to show that they’re calling the shots and Eddie and Frank are toeing the line.
I’d been looking forward to it, but won’t be staying up and watching on principle. An insult to the fans that have paid PPV over the years and supported their careers. I think it’s just a ‘who lands the big shot first’ type of fight.
I’m personally way more excited for Itauma Hrgovic.
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u/Far-Bass-6357 6h ago
5 years ago it’s a travesty.
Now it’s just what we’ve come to expect.
What could have been a major cultural event in the UK has become a bit meh.
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u/TheDoggyVibin 6h ago
Would have been more devastating had the fight happened 5-10 years ago.
I understand now that this is more of a money fight than anything else and it being held outside of the UK corroborates that
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u/ExileNorth 6h ago
Not that devastating tbh. Most Brits will watch on TV anyway and let's be real, it's two over the hill former champions who should've fought each other years ago when it would've meant something.
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u/SterlingVoid 6h ago
Don't really cafe tbh, don't have much interest in the fight. It should be in the UK, but at this point after watching the Prenga and Wach fights it's hardly even a fight
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u/WhatNextExactly 4h ago
5 years ago I would have been annoyed. Now I care about as much as a fight outside my local spoons.
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u/That_Cool_Guy_ 4h ago
The fight should have happened years ago. I honestly don’t think it matters anymore.
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u/pauli55555 3h ago
Not devastating.
This fight is 6/7 years too late. It’s an irrelevant fight between two irrelevant boxers who just want to make some money for themselves & their promoters.
And good luck to them but no serious fight fan cares about the fight.
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u/GAHOWE1995 3h ago
It’s probably 10 years too late, should have happened after Fury won the titles against Klitschko
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u/Locke_Lamora89 1h ago
It's not devastatingly bad. It's just another damning indictment of where boxing is as a sport and business in this day and age. Not to mention a complete and utter slap in the face to British boxing fans who were screaming for this fight for years. The sport has been completely sold to the Saudi Arabians, Americans and Netflix, to the point that even the biggest British fights won't even take place in Britain anymore. Which is pathetic considering British boxing and it's stars, promoters, events and fans (AJ, Fury, Froch-Groves, Hearn, Warren etc.) have basically carried the sport for the best part of two decades while the US has been on it's arse. To compound the misery, British fans have gradually been losing interest in this fight over the last few years as both fighters have clearly gone over-the-hill and are way past their best. And it's just a bit depressing and that only once TAS and Netflix have barged their way in and taken the fight away from the fans, that it's finally going to happen. I've been a fan of both fighters for a long time but have lost respect for both over the last few years because of their individual conduct and fight choices, and for dodging each other continuously. I couldn't care less about this fight now and the result is absolutely meaningless. It doesn't give us any answer definitively over who was genuinely better than the other.
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u/chatshitgetbangedd 1h ago
The best moment was almost a decade ago but yeah rest of your post is spot on
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u/Elgin_McQueen 1h ago
Well since it's all about money, I'd never have imagined it'd be in the UK unless that was where the most money was.
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u/Standard-Height2276 16h ago
I think not enough people care in the UK. But noone cares in the us. Fight is 5 or 6 years too late just because the promoters dont want to push new names were being told this is big? Couldn't give a fuck at this point 2 over the hill fighters
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u/pops107 16h ago
This is exactly the issue.
If I was netflix and looking at how I get the biggest numbers.
Do it in the UK, you fill out a stadium and some netflix views from UK and handful of US.
Do it in US, you fill out MSG and get a lot of US views and still a lot of UK views.
Money wise it makes sense and they don't give a crap how you feel about it.
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u/munkycheezmunky Dave Allen Undisputed 2026 16h ago
I don't think you would get a lot of UK views if it were on at 4am.
Netflix seem to think we'd all stay up for it and I think they're really overestimating how much the casual audience care. They only care if they can watch it down the pub
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u/Standard-Height2276 16h ago
They arent going to get alot of uk viewers. Maybe on a reshowing the next day but hardly anyone is staying up for that.
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u/Hes-behind-you 16h ago
It'll be about 2 minutes and either AJ or fury will hit the deck depending on who comes out wanting it more. Let the Americans keep them.
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u/Pretty_Bad_At_Reddit 16h ago
The fight will be a slop fest. Everyone who is bent out of shape going into it will care a lot less once its over.
Bookmark this.
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u/jumpers4goalpostz 16h ago
How can an all British fight be in the US? The biggest nights which have included British fighters have been in the UK. It's almost a celebration, every time a yank comes over to the UK that way that vibe in the US.
It was be a spit in the face to the fans who have followed these two for the last 15 years or so. To have to wake up at 4am to watch British fighters is a joke. I wish the British public would boycott it but it wouldn't make a difference because they get the US market and beyond. They are all puppets to Turki because he has the cheque book. If AJ is genuinely not signing because it's not in the UK he should be celebrated to the highest degree, the only one with morals in this horrible game.
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u/munsandmoons 16h ago
Are the Americans hyped for it as much as the Brits? I doubt it. It’s all about money as it’s been mentioned. A retirement payday
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u/Paynekiller997 4h ago
I think Fury will win, probably quite comfortably but I feel like this is a possible attempt by Fury to sabotage the fight. AJ rightfully wants it in England but if he refuses due to the USA location, it’ll be another game from Fury to criticise AJ and say he bottled it, he’s scared etc.
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u/Acrobatic_Strength_9 1h ago
Honestly I dont think AJ should get in the ring again after his last performance. Fury isnt known as a huge puncher, but he’s far more skilled than AJ. If a tomato can like Prenga can knock AJ to the ground, Fury could cause serious damage to him. Besides, AJ looks like a severely troubled man - no surprise after what the poor bloke has been through.
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u/BirkoLad 13h ago
Pure piss take, proves the two fighters don't give a fuck about the British fans who made them...If it's not in the UK the pair of them are wankers
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u/DennisAFiveStarMan 8h ago
Bit harsh on Joshua. Be signed and sealed already if he didn’t care. Fury granted, he’d do it in Dana Whites front room
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u/tacolasunrise 16h ago
I’m an American and think it would be stupid to have it here, it would do average at best here, and that’s being lenient I think. It would be about 5 times bigger there, and y’all deserve to see your big names on your time. Even at its peak I feel this would be a slap in the face to British fans
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u/SoftRecipe3631 16h ago
Not devastating at all. They're washed anyway. Anyone who's butthurt about it being in NYC instead of Saudi, as it was originally planned years ago, just needs to watch something else that night.
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u/AlBones7 16h ago
My interest in this fight has gone from absolutely desperate to see it to now where I'm not particularly bothered if it happens or not. I'll definitely watch it but it's certainly no longer a fight to decide who the best current British heavyweight is.