Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury told why taking fight to America will set ‘dangerous precedent’ for sport

Ben Shalom believes the moving of Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury to US shores would be a travesty.

Joshua and Fury are signed and sealed for a huge heavyweight showdown in the final quarter of 2026, after AJ beat Kristian Prenga and Fury beat Mariusz Wach in respective warm-ups.

Getty

The finer details of the bout are yet to be announced with a row developing over the venue.

Madison Square Garden in New York is currently the favourite to host the event, taking away the two British fighters from their own back yard.

Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn signed their end of the deal for the fight to take place in the UK, with Wembley Stadium previously in the running.

Shalom: ‘Fury vs Joshua must be in UK, it is a disgrace’

And Shalom has exclusively told talkSPORT that taking the mega-fight away from British shores, could begin a dangerous cycle.

He explained in a rant: “If it happens, the fact it might not happen in the UK is a disgrace.

“If you told me that two years ago, I’d have literally have laughed at you.

“I don’t give a s**t, we are all debating ‘I know where it is’, it has to happen in the UK.

“If it doesn’t happen in the UK, shame on anyone involved if it isn’t in the UK.

“This whole, ‘go where the money is’ that shows what these people are.

“I think it’s a disgrace, they are arguably the two biggest British fighters this country has built in recent times.

Getty

” We shouldn’t be selling it off to the highest bidder. I’m just worried about the dangerous precedent it sets.

“These guys don’t give a f***, I’m not involved I just want the best for the fans.”

AJ vs Fury venue latest – where will it be?

A final decision has yet to be clarified, but broadcaster Netflix and organisers including Saudi chief Turki Alalshikh are pushing for the move.

Meetings are expected to be held in the coming days to decipher the final details and where the fight will land.

It is currently being explored to take place on a Friday night in the US, at a time which will likely be overnight for British fans.

Of course there will be significant commercial interest from the American market, but it is unclear if it will be enough to fill a potential void of British fans.

Watch Boxing on DAZN

*If you click a link in this boxout, we will earn affiliate revenue

Sign up to DAZN to access the definitive subscription for boxing fans.

Upgrade to DAZN Ultimate from just £24.99/month, guaranteeing access to 185+ fights annually, a minimum of 12 pay-per-views at no extra cost, as well as every Lega Serie A match and other elite football access.

Alternatively, DAZN Standard is just £15.99/month, with the caveat you will have to pay for pay-per-view events.

Click here to sign up.

Joshua’s team are eager from their side for the fight to be in the UK.

They have publicly condemned the news, suggesting their side of the deal stipulates the bout must land on domestic shores.

His lead promoter Hearn has even threatened to pull the plug on the deal if an announcement is made without team Joshua being consulted.