Tyson Fury has intensified his attack on Anthony Joshua, branding the two-time world heavyweight champion a "coward" and accusing him of "conning everybody" as negotiations over their long-awaited all-British heavyweight clash remain deadlocked.
The pair had appeared tantalizingly close to finalising terms for a super-fight that has been discussed for years, but a significant disagreement over the event's location has emerged as a critical obstacle. Saudi organisers Sela have pushed for the bout to take place in the United States, while Joshua's camp has consistently advocated for a British venue.
Fury vented his frustration on Instagram on Wednesday, publicly questioning why the deal remained unsigned.
"Joshua, where are you? Still no deal done. It's getting quite tiring," Fury posted. "I've been down to fight in every location that's been mentioned - England, Ireland, Vegas, New York, back to England, back to Ireland, back to New York. I've said yep, yep, yep every single time with zero stipulations."
The heavyweight then escalated his rhetoric, suggesting Joshua was deliberately avoiding the confrontation.
"The facts are that I feel like you're being a coward. I feel like you don't want the fight and you're just conning everybody. I feel like you've been doing that for years."
Joshua's most recent outing came in July when he secured a second-round knockout victory over Kristian Prenga, though the performance was marked by two knockdowns in the opening round. Fury, meanwhile, last competed in July against Mariusz Wach, with the 46-year-old forcing his opponent to retire at the end of the seventh round.
Fury continued his verbal assault, challenging Joshua to finally commit to the fight.
"You've had many opportunities to fight me, but deep down you've never really wanted it, so let's see if you're going to man out for a final time. We're both f***ing 37, 38 years old - let's f***ing fight. It's a boxing match and you've been banjoed before plenty of times. You've been knocked sparked out a few times. So what, what's the worst that can happen? I'm going to f***ing chin you, 100 per cent, but it's nothing that hasn't been done before!"
Promoter Frank Warren moved to support Fury's position, insisting that responsibility for the impasse rests entirely with Joshua's team.
"Tyson has signed up for the fight and agreed to the fight,"Warren stated on Wednesday.
"He's all good to go, just waiting for AJ. I can't speak for him, because he's with Matchroom. He [Fury] has signed."
Warren acknowledged uncertainty regarding the eventual venue, noting that Fury had recently hinted at Madison Square Garden on social media.
"That I don't know,"he said.
"That's going to be up to the people who are putting up the money and the promoters and the TV company putting up the money. Tyson just wants to get on. He said 'I don't care where I'll fight, whether it's Wembley, New York, Isle of Wight, Isle of Man - I'll fight him anywhere'. He doesn't care."
Contract Status and Recent Developments
The situation has evolved significantly since negotiations began in earnest. According to BBC Sport, Eddie Hearn stated on August 22 that "no-one can pull out" of the proposed Fury-Joshua fight and that the parties have "signed the contract," though a date remains unsigned. This suggests the fundamental agreement is in place despite the ongoing venue dispute.
ESPN reported on August 19 that New York had emerged as the frontrunner to stage the fight, with confirmation expected to be imminent from the promoters involved.
Timeline and Next Steps
Frank Warren has indicated that early November 2026 is the target timeframe for the bout to take place in America, though he acknowledged that negotiations are still ongoing and no official date or venue has been confirmed. The promoter expressed confidence that the fight will ultimately happen, despite the current impasse over location.
Both fighters have now completed their respective comeback fights, clearing the path for the heavyweight showdown to proceed. With contracts reportedly signed and both men having agreed in principle to the bout, the remaining obstacle centres entirely on where the fight will be staged and when it will be officially scheduled.
