The proposed heavyweight showdown between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury is facing a fresh battle over where the highly anticipated contest should take place.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has publicly thrown his support behind Wembley Stadium, urging the promoters of the potential all-British clash to bring the event to the English capital.
Khan made his position known on Thursday while speaking to BBC Sport, saying London was eager to host the fight.
“A message to the promoters: We want to host it in London. Talk to us; we are really keen to have it,” Khan said.
The mayor pointed to Wembley’s history of staging major sporting events and previous bouts involving both Joshua and Fury.
“Wembley has hosted many fantastic events, including bouts involving Tyson and Anthony. We, the fans, want to see them box live in London,” he added.
However, New York is reportedly competing strongly with London for the event.
Organisers and broadcaster Netflix are believed to favour Madison Square Garden in New York as the venue for a potential November meeting between the two former world heavyweight champions.
According to sources close to the negotiations cited by BBC Sport, discussions over staging the fight in London have currently stalled, with no firm agreement reached regarding dates or scheduling.
The venue is expected to be determined soon as preparations for the proposed fight continue.
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, is reportedly pushing for an announcement this week, while a press conference is expected to take place next week.
The potential Joshua-Fury contest has generated significant interest among boxing fans, with both Wembley and Madison Square Garden offering major-profile settings for what would be one of the sport’s biggest heavyweight events.
For now, the final destination of the proposed fight remains undecided, leaving London and New York competing to host the much-anticipated British heavyweight clash.
