Robert McCracken, the trainer who guided Anthony Joshua to amateur glory and world heavyweight titles as a professional, has defended the two British fighters' right to negotiate their own path toward a long-awaited super-fight with Tyson Fury, insisting outsiders should stay out of the process.
The veteran coach's comments come amid mounting frustration over the protracted talks between the camps. Frank Warren, Fury's promoter, told Sky Sports this week that contractual terms had been settled and negotiations were now stalled waiting for Joshua's response. Meanwhile, Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn announced that discussions have resumed to stage the bout at Wembley Stadium after a venue dispute had previously derailed progress.
McCracken, speaking exclusively to Sky Sports, argued that the constant media speculation and public commentary surrounding the fight should not influence the fighters' decision-making.
I had a career as a fighter and you look back at what you maybe wished you should have done and what you shouldn't have done. I think it works out how it should work out most of the time, but it's up to the fighters if they want to fight each other and try and get the better of each other.
The former trainer stressed that the heavyweight pair had already established their credentials at the highest level and should be free to make choices based on their own interests rather than public pressure.
I don't think it's anybody else's business whether they should fight or not - I think they both proved themselves.
McCracken acknowledged, however, that the prolonged saga has generated significant interest in boxing as a sport, keeping the heavyweight division in the headlines and attracting broader attention to the sport.
One thing I'd say is everyone's talking about it - it puts boxing on the map and it's great for boxing. While boxing's in the forefront and in the news, I think it's a really positive thing.
Fury's frustration and Joshua's track record
Tyson Fury has made his impatience clear, taking to social media to express his exasperation at the delays and publicly branding Joshua a "coward" amid the ongoing negotiations. Despite Fury's outburst, McCracken insisted that Joshua has consistently shown a willingness to face top-tier opposition throughout his career.
With Anthony Joshua, in my experiences, he was happy to fight anybody. It was just about how it was packaged and what was best for him - that's how the fighters look at things these days.
McCracken noted that while he has not been directly involved with Joshua's team for some time, the signs suggest the fight will eventually materialise.
I've not been involved for a long time with Joshua, but it looks like it's going to happen. Hopefully it will and then obviously everyone can enjoy it.
Recent form and the path to the showdown
The two heavyweights arrived at this juncture via contrasting summer tune-up bouts. Fury delivered a dominant performance against Mariusz Wach, securing a one-sided stoppage, while Joshua's comeback fight proved far more testing. The former champion was knocked down twice by Kristian Prenga before ultimately securing a knockout victory.
McCracken suggested that Joshua's less convincing display could serve as motivation, driving him to silence his critics should the Fury fight come to fruition.
Joshua is coming off the back of not a great performance, but obviously he got the knockout and that is all that really matters. He'll be looking to prove people wrong, any of the doubters.
The trainer assessed the current state of play between the two fighters, noting that Fury's recent results have positioned him as the bookmakers' favourite heading into any potential clash.
Tyson [Fury] would be the favourite at the moment with his recent results and his form. It's quite fascinating if you actually think about it, where it's got to and the time it's taken to actually get the fight on.
The venue dispute and timeline pressure
The central obstacle blocking the fight's finalisation has been disagreement over location. According to ESPN, Joshua's contract stipulates the bout must take place in the United Kingdom, while organisers have favoured staging it in the United States. The dispute had stalled momentum for months, but Hearn's recent announcement that talks have reopened for a Wembley Stadium date suggests a potential breakthrough.
However, time is running short. According to ESPN, Hearn stated there is "nothing agreed right now" and that a decision must be reached this week if the fight is to proceed on November 20. The BBC reported that Frank Warren said Fury is "100%" signed up and that Tyson is "signed up for the fight and agreed for the fight", placing the onus firmly on Joshua's camp to commit.
Should Wembley be selected as the venue, additional hurdles remain. According to reports, discussions with London officials have restarted over the stadium, and an extension to Wembley's standard 11 p.m. curfew would be required to accommodate a late-night start suitable for international broadcast windows.
What happens next
The November 20 date remains the target for the heavyweight showdown, contingent on both camps reaching agreement within days. Hearn's insistence that a decision is needed immediately underscores the urgency of the situation. If Wembley is confirmed, negotiations with the Mayor of London and Brent Council over curfew arrangements will need to proceed in parallel to keep the timeline on track.
McCracken's intervention, emphasising that the fighters themselves should control the narrative, comes at a critical moment in the negotiations. Whether his measured perspective will help ease tensions between the camps remains to be seen, but his assertion that the fight "looks like it's going to happen" suggests optimism that the long-awaited clash will finally materialise.
A Night of Solidarity
McCracken was speaking to Sky Sports ahead of 'A Night of Solidarity' on November 13, an Olympic-style boxing evening designed to celebrate the unifying power of sport and raise funds for firefighters' charities, youth sport organisations and community groups in North Kensington.
The event was created to honour the actions of the local community in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, when local boxing and sports clubs came together to help the community rebuild, create safe spaces for young people and support those affected by the devastating fire.
The London Fire Brigade Boxing Club (LFB) has collaborated with local communities across London to harness the unifying power of sport, providing structure and purpose to the lives of young people and bringing them together with rank-and-file firefighters in boxing gyms in a demonstration of solidarity and support.
'A Night of Solidarity' aims to celebrate both these efforts and bring them together, recognising the vital role played by both the LFB Boxing Club and those clubs in the areas most heavily impacted by the Grenfell Tower fire.
The evening will raise funds for local sports charities and the Firefighter's Charity and will feature 12 bouts of boxing, with an LFB Select team taking on a North Kensington team made up of men, women and youth boxers from a variety of clubs in the local area and across London.
