No change, no deal: The wait continues for Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury
Aug 26, 2026 • 5:18 PM ET
Cris Esqueda / Matchroom BoxingLOS ANGELES – Consider it boxing’s most important face-off of the year.
With no response from his signed addendum nearly a week after he sent it off to Saudi Arabia boxing financier Turki Alalshikh, Anthony Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn is sticking to his guns for the super-fight against fellow two-time heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
“As of now, we expect the fight to take place in the U.K., as per the contract,” Hearn told BoxingScene Wednesday.
Late last week, responding to allegations Hearn was stalling the proposed move of Joshua-Fury to November 20 at Madison Square Garden over payments owed for snooker and darts competitions, the promoter clarified he instead was requesting that Joshua be paid his full purse from his July knockout of Kristian Prenga and that ticketing, security and other standard contractual agreements be shored up.
“No change,” Hearn said in regard to what movement has occurred since the addendum was sent.
Since Alalshikh has entered boxing, at least one other boxer’s representative complained to BoxingScene of not being paid on fight night, later acknowledging the contract stipulated the funds could arrive at a later date within 45 days of the bout.
In Joshua’s case, BoxingScene has learned the purse money was due on fight night.
So, as Fury and his promoter Frank Warren have pleaded for the sides to finalize the deal, the wait continues.
Lance Pugmire has been a full-time boxing writer for nearly 20 years, serving now as BoxingScene’s U.S. Senior Writer and assistant producer for ProBoxTV’s “BoxingScene Today.” Pugmire capped a near 20-year career at the Los Angeles Times (sports investigations, NHL/MLB beat work, law enforcement/courts and boxing/UFC) to join The Athletic, and then USA Today. Pugmire’s stint at The Times started with the first Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez fight and the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jnr then-record pay-per-view, leading through a slew of ringside assignments at major bouts, including Mayweather-Pacquiao, Mayweather-Canelo and the Canelo-Golovkin trilogy. Lance’s appreciation for boxing is rooted in his admiration and appreciation for the fighters, gladiators who have proven to be the most forthcoming and candid of all the athletes he has interviewed over a career dating to 1990. Lance was honored to be named the 2022 winner of the Boxing Writers Association of America Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence and he’s collected many BWAA writing awards in categories ranging from breaking news to deep-dive long features.
