Joshua's Fury Fight: Hearn Spills on Shocking UK Pay Cut!
Anthony Joshua has accepted a pay cut of over £10 million to ensure his highly anticipated fight against Tyson Fury takes place in the UK. Despite calls for the bout to be in New York, Joshua prioritized a home advantage at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, a decision that reportedly cost Saudi boxing kingpin Turki Alalshikh an additional £53 million.Anthony Joshua has made a significant financial sacrifice, accepting a pay cut exceeding £10 million ($13m), to ensure his highly anticipated heavyweight clash with Tyson Fury is staged in the United Kingdom. This decision was confirmed by his promoter, Eddie Hearn, who revealed the substantial sum Joshua forewent for the fight to take place on home soil rather than abroad.
Initially, there was considerable pressure from various influential figures to host the mega-fight in the United States. Saudi Arabia's boxing kingpin, Turki Alalshikh, along with his American partner Dana White and broadcasters Netflix, advocated strongly for New York's Madison Square Garden as the preferred venue. However, Joshua and Hearn remained steadfast in their desire to bring the fight to Britain.
Hearn recounted the internal discussions, stating that public demand for a UK-based fight influenced Joshua's thinking. Despite the immense financial implication of turning down an "eight figures plus" offer, Joshua ultimately decided to prioritize the opportunity to fight in the UK. Hearn emphasized that while he saw an advantage for Joshua fighting at home, the final decision to accept the reduced purse was Joshua's own, as he declared, "f--- it, we'll do it in the UK."
The move to a UK venue came at a considerable cost to the organizers. Turki Alalshikh disclosed that shifting the fight away from New York incurred an additional expense of £53 million ($70m). Furthermore, a concession had to be made for the American market, with ring walks scheduled for the early hours of Saturday morning to accommodate U.S. prime time viewing.
While Alalshikh's initial preference for a UK venue was Wembley Stadium, with ambitions to include a performance by pop star Dua Lipa, the venue's strict 11 p.m. curfew made it unviable for the event's extended schedule. Consequently, the 80,000-capacity Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, with its retractable roof, was ultimately chosen. The long-awaited bout is set to take place on December 11, marking a triumphant outcome for those who championed a British setting.