FURY ACCUSES JOSHUA AND HEARN OVER FIGHT COLLAPSE

Tyson Fury has responded to reports that his heavyweight fight with Anthony Joshua is in danger of collapse, days after the bout was confirmed for 11 December 2026 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Fury posted a video to social media claiming that Joshua and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, were trying to pull out of the fight. He described the pair as "cowards" and said the blame for the fight's potential collapse rested with them. Fury said Hearn was "making up a million different things" and threatening to withdraw.

The fight had been confirmed on Thursday for the WBA world heavyweight title, which was vacated by Oleksandr Usyk, with the bout set to stream live on Netflix. Reports emerged on Friday night that the fight faced unspecified "issues". Fury said the dispute centres on a disagreement between Hearn and UFC executive Dana White, claiming that Turki Al-Sheikh wants White's Zuffa Boxing to promote the fight. Hearn maintains that the contract signed by Joshua does not permit White's involvement. According to Sportskeeda, Fury separately said he removed a clause from his own contract that would have barred White and the TKO group from involvement, saying he wants White involved.

No new date or official confirmation of the fight's cancellation has been issued beyond Fury's social media statements. Neither Joshua nor Hearn has publicly addressed Fury's specific claims about the contract dispute. The fight had been billed as a meeting between two of the leading heavyweight boxers of recent years. Its status for 11 December remains unconfirmed pending further statements from the parties involved, including the WBA regarding the vacated title.