Fury confirms Joshua showdown at Madison Square Garden

Tyson Fury has confirmed that his long-awaited heavyweight showdown with British-Nigerian Anthony Joshua will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York, bringing an end to months of uncertainty over the venue for the highly anticipated clash.

The former world heavyweight champion announced the development on Instagram, posting a promotional poster featuring himself and Joshua against the backdrop of the New York City skyline.

However, Fury did not reveal a date for the fight in his post.

“What a place NYC, and what a venue MSG, and what a fight Fury vs AJ, the land of opportunity,” Fury wrote.

“What a weekend away for the lads on the piss in NYC. Iconic! Not long now guys.”

Joshua was not tagged in the post, while neither the two-time world champion nor his promoter, Matchroom Boxing, had confirmed the venue as of this report.

The bout is expected to take place in November, with November 20 understood to be the target date after both fighters signed contracts with Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority.

The decision to stage the fight in the United States has been a major talking point, particularly because Joshua’s original terms stipulated that the bout should take place in the United Kingdom.

Organisers Netflix and Alalshikh had pushed for the blockbuster contest to be staged in the United States, forcing Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn into fresh negotiations over the proposed move across the Atlantic.

Hearn had previously revealed that Joshua’s camp remained opposed to taking the fight outside Britain but acknowledged that a deal had to satisfy all parties.

“We don’t want to do the fight in the US, but we also understand it has to work for everybody,” Hearn said.

“We’ve set out our position, mainly in concern to the tax situation that will deplete his net purse by going to America, which can be rectified and I think they’re happy to do that.”

“We will need to make a decision this week. They’ve replied, they have our terms. It’s up to them,” Hearn added.

Fury’s announcement has already drawn criticism from some fans, with questions raised over why an all-British heavyweight blockbuster would be staged in the United States rather than at a major British venue such as Wembley Stadium.

At 38, Fury has won 36 of his professional fights, with his only defeats coming in back-to-back encounters against Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk in 2024.

The former champion returned to action in July, stopping Polish opponent Mariusz Wach in a tune-up bout in Pattaya, Thailand, after previously announcing his retirement following his second defeat to Usyk.

Joshua, meanwhile, also secured victory in his latest tune-up fight, defeating Kristian Prenga in Jeddah on 25 July.

READ ALSO: Umohette celebrates 20th career win, hails Anthony Joshua, Itauma

That victory proved significant in the negotiations, with Hearn saying it helped clear the way for talks between Joshua’s and Fury’s camps to progress.

The Fury-Joshua fight has been years in the making, with plans for the blockbuster British heavyweight showdown first collapsing in 2021.

At the time, a United States judge ruled that Fury was contractually obligated to face Deontay Wilder in a trilogy bout, putting an end to the proposed Joshua clash.

Now, after years of negotiations, setbacks and uncertainty, Fury’s latest announcement has brought the fight another major step closer, with Madison Square Garden set to provide the stage for one of the most anticipated heavyweight encounters of the era.