Online Reporter
ANTHONY JOSHUA is battling to have his £100million Battle of Britain fight with Tyson Fury at Wembley – not in New York.
AJ, 36, sealed the long-awaited showdown with a KO victory over Kristian Prenga on Saturday.
Fury’s contracts make iconic Big Apple venue Madison Square Garden the frontrunner to host this year’s bout. Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn told SunSport: “It’s pretty clear they want the fight in America. We don’t.”
Joshua’s side of the Saudi-backed contract stipulates it MUST happen in the UK.
But Fury and his family are locked into a string of reality series with US media powerhouse Netflix – who have the rights to the all-British clash.
Hearn said: “Those guys are going to come and see me next week to talk about what they want to do.
“The fight is agreed and signed – if they follow everything in the contract which is how business works. “If they want to change the terms then there has to be a conversation.”
Saudi boxing financier Turki Alalshikh appears adamant on taking the fight to America to capitalise on primetime US viewing.
That would leave Hearn – who has spent the last decade trying to make the bout happen – among many disappointed home fans.
He said: “I’ve got the same anger and frustration. I feel exactly the same way as British fight fans. “Love me or hate me, I’m a British fight fan. I’m just the same as the people that want it in Britain. Just my name is involved in it.
“For my legacy, I don’t want this fight in America.”
A day after Fury eased past Mariusz Wach in Thailand, unknown Prenga almost kyboshed the biggest fight in British boxing history.
Joshua survived two first-round knockdowns before stopping the Albanian in the second round of his first fight since surviving a car crash that killed two of his best friends.
Hearn admitted: “That was the most dramatic, emotional four minutes of my career. Maybe my life.
“So many emotions go through your mind in what was probably two-and-a-half minutes of unbelievable drama.
“I just can’t believe he found a way to win. All week, you kind of start thinking to yourself, ‘Has he come back too early?’
“He needed boxing to get over the grief… but hasn’t got over the grief. What did he have, like 24 breaks in his ribs or something like that. I started thinking to myself, ‘It’s over, the career is over.’
“I thought to myself at one stage, what an unbelievable journey I’m so proud of him that he made it back and if this is the moment when it’s all over, then what a ride.
“One thing he will never lose is concussive power. If he hits you one time on the chin the fight changes.
“He hit Prenga about a minute before he stopped him with one right hand and everything just changed.
“The knockout – that’s what he does. He’s shown signs of vulnerability and I know he makes mistakes. But he can knock you out cold at any moment.
“When he fights Tyson Fury, that’s the kind of fight it’s going to be.” – Sun
