Tyson Fury has confirmed that his highly anticipated heavyweight clash with Anthony Joshua will be staged at Madison Square Garden in New York, bringing an end to months of uncertainty over where the long-awaited bout would take place.
Fury announced the venue on Instagram on Wednesday, posting promotional artwork featuring himself and Joshua against the New York skyline. He did not, however, reveal an official date for the fight.
“What a place NYC, and what a venue MSG, and what a fight Fury vs AJ,” Fury wrote, describing the event as an opportunity to spend a weekend in the iconic American city.
The announcement has yet to receive confirmation from Joshua or his promoter, Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, although negotiations between the two camps have been ongoing.
The fight is expected to take place in November, with November 20 reportedly being considered as the target date.
Both fighters have already agreed contractual terms with Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi Arabian entertainment and boxing powerbroker who has played a central role in bringing the contest together.
Joshua camp raised concerns over US venue
The decision to stage the fight in the United States has been a major sticking point in negotiations.
Joshua’s initial agreement reportedly required the bout to be held in the United Kingdom.
His camp had preferred a home-country spectacle, potentially at Wembley Stadium, while organisers, including Netflix and Alalshikh, pushed for the event to be held in America.
Hearn previously acknowledged that Joshua’s representatives were reluctant to move the fight across the Atlantic, but said the financial implications could potentially be addressed.
The promoter’s main concern has been the effect of US taxation on Joshua’s earnings from the fight.
“We don’t want to do the fight in the US, but we also understand it has to work for everybody,” Hearn said.
He added that the two sides had discussed arrangements that could offset the tax burden and protect Joshua’s purse.
A decision on the final terms was expected this week.
Fury and Joshua prepare for blockbuster clash
Fury, 38, enters the contest with a professional record of 36 wins. His only defeats came against Oleksandr Usyk, who beat him in two consecutive heavyweight title fights in 2024.
The former world champion subsequently announced his retirement before returning to the ring in July for a comeback fight against Poland’s Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand.
Joshua, meanwhile, continued his own return to the heavyweight scene with a victory over Kristian Prenga in Jeddah on July 25.
The win helped Joshua maintain his activity while negotiations over the Fury fight continued.
Despite their status as two of Britain’s biggest boxing stars, the decision to hold their first meeting in New York has already generated criticism from some fans, who believe the fight should have been staged in Britain.
The Fury-Joshua matchup has been discussed for years but has repeatedly failed to materialise.
One of the most significant setbacks came in 2021, when a US judge ruled that Fury was contractually obligated to face Deontay Wilder in a third fight, effectively derailing plans for the two British heavyweights to meet.
Five years later, Fury’s latest announcement suggests the long-awaited fight is finally moving towards the ring — this time under the lights of Madison Square Garden.
