Anthony Joshua Took Massive Pay Cut to Keep Tyson Fury Fight in the UK
The long-anticipated showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua is officially set for December 11 at the Principality Stadium, a win for UK boxing fans relieved to see the fight stay on home soil rather than moving to Madison Square Garden in New York.
Despite the prestige of defeating The Gypsy King, Joshua reportedly agreed to a significant pay reduction to ensure this historic British clash happens in the UK. Reports say he sacrificed around £10 million ($13 million) by foregoing a bigger purse that would have come from a US venue.
A Lengthy Journey to the Ring
The possibility of Fury vs Joshua has dragged on for years. Back in April 2017, Joshua climbed to the top by stopping Wladimir Klitschko, claiming the WBA title alongside his IBF belt, while Fury was battling mental health struggles and was out of boxing.
Plans were almost made for a late 2020 fight after Fury won the WBC belt from Deontay Wilder and Joshua reclaimed his titles from Andy Ruiz Jr. But legal battles forced Wilder into a trilogy fight, killing any chance of the two Brits facing off at their prime.
Over time, both fighters lost momentum. Joshua dropped consecutive bouts to Oleksandr Usyk, losing all his belts before beating lesser opponents like Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius, and Otto Wallin. Fury edged past Francis Ngannou in a controversial decision despite being knocked down, then suffered back-to-back defeats against Usyk.
The stakes diminished as titles were no longer on the line and both men’s profiles slipped. Joshua also endured a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois between the Usyk and Fury fights.
Fight Confirmed Amid Changing Fortunes
After Fury’s victory over Mariusz Wach and Joshua’s quick knockout of Kristian Prenga, the fight date and UK venue were announced, much to British fans’ delight. Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn insisted on the fight staying in the UK, even if it meant a smaller payday.
Financial Sacrifices Behind the Scenes
Hearn revealed Joshua’s willingness to turn down a massive eight-figure sum to keep the event in Britain. He said:
“People started saying, ‘please bring the fight to the UK,’ and AJ started feeling that. To keep it in the UK, he's got to turn down eight figures plus. AJ goes to me, ‘whatever you think,’ and I'm like, ‘no, no, no, it's your money. I can't make that decision for you.’ He asks, ‘what [do you] think I should do?’ and I told him I think the UK is where the fight should be because there's an edge for him to have this fight in the UK, but it's a lot of money. And he went, ‘f*** it, we'll do it in the UK.’”
Adding to the losses, Turki Alalshikh claimed at the press conference that shifting the fight from New York to Cardiff cost around £53 million ($70 million).
Timing Challenges for Fans on Both Sides
UK viewers will likely get a better start time than if the fight was held in the US, though organisers want a post-midnight UK start to attract American audiences. Even so, it’s an improvement over the usual early morning hours the US fights air for UK fans.
