Tyson Fury has intensified his criticism of Anthony Joshua, branding the two-time world heavyweight champion a "coward" and accusing him of deliberately misleading the public as negotiations over their long-awaited all-British heavyweight clash remain stalled.
The pair appeared to be on the verge of finalising their super-fight, a matchup that has eluded British boxing for years, only for a fundamental disagreement over location to derail progress. Saudi boxing powerbroker Sela has pushed for the event to take place in the United States, while Joshua's camp has insisted on a British venue.
On Wednesday, Fury took to Instagram to vent his frustration at the impasse, laying out his willingness to fight anywhere.
Joshua, where are you? Still no deal done. It's getting quite tiring. 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 Gypsy King then turned his fire directly on his rival, questioning Joshua's commitment to the bout.
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 marred by two knockdowns in the opening round. Fury, meanwhile, last stepped into the ring in July when he faced Mariusz Wach in Thailand, with the 46-year-old forcing a retirement in the seventh round.
Fury continued his assault on Joshua's character, challenging him to finally commit to the showdown.
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 backed Fury's position, insisting that the responsibility for moving the fight forward now rests entirely with Joshua's team.
Tyson has signed up for the fight and agreed to the fight. He's all good to go, just waiting for AJ. I can't speak for him, because he's with Matchroom. He has signed.
Warren acknowledged uncertainty over the eventual location, though Fury has been hinting at Madison Square Garden on social media in recent days.
That I don't know. 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.
Venue dispute deepens as negotiations drag on
The location deadlock has become the central obstacle to finalising what would be one of British boxing's most significant heavyweight encounters. According to ESPN, New York had emerged as the frontrunner to host the bout, with reports suggesting a confirmation was close as of mid-August, though no date or venue had been officially finalised. However, Al Jazeera reported on August 21 that Fury himself had suggested the fight "doesn't look like it's going to happen," citing the ongoing venue dispute and claiming Joshua's side were seeking additional financial terms.
Both fighters had signed contracts with Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh earlier in 2026, according to ESPN, but the missing pieces remained the specific date and venue. Joshua's contractual position has further complicated matters, with reports indicating his deal requires the fight to take place in the United Kingdom, adding a formal contractual dimension to the location dispute.
Wembley Stadium has been discussed as a possible venue, with the possibility of a late-night start to accommodate global television audiences. Fury has meanwhile teased Madison Square Garden as a potential alternative, keeping both sides guessing about where the heavyweight showdown might ultimately occur.
What comes next
Despite the current impasse, Frank Warren remained optimistic about the fight's prospects. On August 29, Warren stated he still expected the bout to take place in early November, though he acknowledged that negotiations over the remaining details were ongoing. A meeting among the involved parties is expected soon to settle the outstanding venue and date questions, with early November 2026 remaining the most commonly discussed target date, pending official confirmation.
