- Tyson Fury says he is looking for a new opponent for November amid uncertainty over his planned fight with Anthony Joshua.
- Fury has challenged Oleksandr Usyk to a third heavyweight bout after accusing Joshua of backing away from their long-awaited showdown.
- Fury and Joshua have signed individual contracts, but disagreement over whether the fight should take place in Britain or the US has delayed an announcement.
- Wembley Stadium and New York’s Madison Square Garden have emerged as competing venues for the blockbuster heavyweight contest.
September 07, (THEWILL) — Tyson Fury has said he is searching for a new opponent for November and challenged Oleksandr Usyk to a third fight, raising fresh uncertainty over his planned heavyweight showdown with Anthony Joshua.
Fury and Joshua have signed individual contracts for the long-awaited all-British contest, but an official announcement has been delayed amid disagreement over where the fight should take place.
Joshua’s contract stipulates that the bout must be staged in the UK, while organisers Sela and broadcaster Netflix are understood to favour Madison Square Garden in New York. Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has consequently been renegotiating aspects of the agreement.
In a video posted on Instagram, Fury accused Joshua of backing away from the contest and said he was prepared to pursue another fight.
“I am now looking for a new opponent,” Fury said, before challenging Usyk to meet him again in November. “Let’s run it back in November. The ball is now in your court… do you want to fight me this year, 2026, or are you calling it quits?”
Fury turns to Usyk as doubts grow over Joshua fight
Fury has lost twice to Usyk, who became undisputed heavyweight champion after defeating the Briton. The Ukrainian is now working with Joshua as part of his training and coaching team.
Sela, Queensberry Promotions and Matchroom Boxing declined to comment when contacted by BBC Sport about whether negotiations for the Joshua-Fury fight had broken down.
The venue has emerged as a significant obstacle to finalising the contest. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has publicly urged promoters to bring the fight to Wembley Stadium, while Hearn recently said discussions about staging it in Britain had “re-opened”.
Sela has also contacted the London mayor’s office in recent weeks about the possibility of staging the bout at Wembley, although talks have reportedly made little progress since last week.
Khan said London would support efforts to host the contest, including the possibility of staging it in the early hours to accommodate the US television market.
“We want to host it in London. Talk to us, we’re really keen to have it,” Khan said.
Hearn had previously indicated that an announcement could come within days, but Fury’s latest comments have cast further doubt over whether the Joshua fight will proceed as planned in November.
Segun Adeyemi serves as the Associate Editor of THEWILL Newspaper, leveraging more than ten years of editorial expertise and a proven track record in mainstream journalism.
