Frank Warren, co-promoter for WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, is not ready to confirm the recent news of a $150 million site fee, from Saudi Arabia, to host the highly anticipated unification with IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO champion Anthony Joshua.
According to a report on ESPN, there is a site fee of $150 million to have Fury-Joshua take place in Saudi Arabia in the summer.
The two boxers have agreed on a two-fight series, and they also agreed on the monetary terms, but there has been a lot of trouble nailing down a date and venue.
Both sides are working hard to get the first encounter on track, but the process is dragging out a bit longer than Fury anticipated.
Because of the ongoing delay in finalizing the details, Fury is becoming increasingly impatient. The unbeaten boxer has been inactive since February of 2020, when he stopped Deontay Wilder in seven rounds to capture the WBC title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Warren cautions that the longer this process drags out, the more likely it becomes that Fury moves forward with a stay-busy fight in June or July.
“Look, every day I’m being told – it’s like, ‘It’s in the post.’ It’s not arrived and that’s where we are. I’ll believe it when I see it. We’re being told it’ll be here. I know Tyson’s had enough of hanging around. He wants to fight in June or July and that’s what will happen if this thing doesn’t get resolved very quickly," Warren told Talk Sport.
“We all want the fight. We’re all working, moving heaven and Earth to get it over the line, but at the moment the offer hasn’t come through. Maybe the two guys have gotta look – if the offer doesn’t come through – to look at how we make this fight viable. Everyone’s expectation levels maybe have to reassess.”
At this point, Warren says the contest is in no way taking place in the month of July - likely pushing it to a date in August.
As far as the circulating news of a big offer from Saudi Arabia, Warren is not convinced until he actual sees a binding agreement.
“Until I see it, it’s not there. Until something’s signed, confirmed, whatever the number’s gonna be, it’s not there," Warren said.
“We can talk all day long, it’s not there. It’s not gonna take place in June or July, that’s not happening and the only way we can only be realistic about this, saying it’s happening, is if we actually get a binding agreement. That’s what we want, a binding agreement.”
