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The man who looks after Anthony Joshua's multi-million dollar deals says the Tyson Fury fight 'has global interest' to host it

May 24, 2020, 21:55 IST
Insider
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.Photos by Al Bello / Richard Heathcote
  • The Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury super-fight, should it be made, might not even happen in the UK.
  • The CEO of Matchroom Boxing, which represents Joshua, told Insider that the bout is so big it is generating global interest.
  • Top Rank founder Bob Arum, who looks after Fury, told Insider earlier this year that it was really only between the UK and the US, as regular fights elsewhere — particularly the Middle East — "kills the sport."
  • Arum has recently changed his mind, though, and said he is exploring opportunities in the Middle East as well as China.
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LONDON — A fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship, one contested between two British fighters, might not even take place in the UK.

A high-stakes and lucrative showdown between the hulking WBA, WBO, and IBF world champion Anthony Joshua and the technically-adept WBC heavyweight world titleholder Tyson Fury could happen in 2021.

But where it takes place remains unclear because the fight is so big, those involved in making it are expecting global offers.

"That fight will have global interest from sites all around the world," Frank Smith, the CEO of Matchroom Boxing — the firm which represents Joshua — told Insider recently.

"A lot of people want to see that in London but we'll have to wait and see where it ends up."

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Ahead of Fury's most recent fight, a stunning stoppage win over Deontay Wilder in February, Insider spoke to Fury's promoter Bob Arum in Las Vegas.

Arum told us that event organizers owe it to fans to hold the fight in the UK or the USA. "If we care about this sport and want to see it grow, then the fight should take place either in the United States or in the UK," Arum said.

Arum was speaking shortly after Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn, of Matchroom, told iFL TV that the bout could feature in Saudi Arabia as this would generate $200 million total purse for the fighters.

While Arum told us three months ago that putting regular fights in the Middle East "kills the sport," he appears to have since changed his mind. He told the Irish Sun that he is now exploring opportunities in the region regarding Joshua vs. Fury and other major fights.

While the UK and the US were in play earlier in the year and the Middle East could provide options, China, too, appears to be a potential destination for the 2021 super-fight.

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"We've been getting offers from all over the world for this fight," Arum told iFL TV earlier this month. "I have an expertise in Macau, too, having done fights there, so I'm talking to Macau," he added.

While the host country is yet to be decided, both parties — Arum of Top Rank, which looks after Fury, and Matchroom — are clearly in constant discussion regarding the bout.

"It's definitely a fight we want to make happen and Tyson wants it to happen," Smith told Insider.

Read more:

Britain's biggest fight promoter has launched an ambitious plan to bring elite boxing to his huge, multi-million dollar mansion — and Anthony Joshua wants to get involved

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Billy Joe Saunders posted a video showing men how to punch their partners in quarantine. He can't stay out of trouble and should seek advice from Tyson Fury who worked to improve his image

Tyson Fury's life changed forever when he was 14 and punched his dad so hard he broke 3 of his ribs

3 statistics show why Anthony Joshua was able to beat Andy Ruiz Jr. so easily the second time around

Khabib Nurmagomedov said he's following heavyweight king Tyson Fury's lead so he can 'become a legend' in combat sports

Read the original article on Insider
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