The debate surrounding the venue for the heavyweight confrontation between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury added a firm stance on the part of the technical representation of the Watford corner.
The British promoter Eddie Hearn categorically rejected the intentions of moving the evening to the United States, arguing the existence of a prior contractual commitment that requires the performance of the show within the territory of the United Kingdom.
Subscribe to DAZN here and don't miss the best of BOXING
Recent speculation in the international press placed Madison Square Garden in New York as the ideal setting to host the card during the month of November.
However, the head of Matchroom Boxing, Eddie Hearn, denied these versions and revealed the legal conditions that protect the British headquarters after holding a conversation with the specialized space talkSPORT Boxing.
The contractual clause that defends the British home team
During his interview with the radio station, the manager explained that the decision to fight on English soil responds to an express request from his client at the time of formalizing the representation agreements. For the corner of the former Olympic champion, maintaining the function in national territory is a priority point in the planning of the event.
"I've seen all the reports that point to November 20 at Madison Square Garden," Eddie Hearn declared in his speech, adding about the joint position of his work team: "I think that right now AJ and I are like the last two standing on the hill, waving the Union Jack flag. Anthony Joshua made me include a clause in the contract that states that the fight must take place in the United Kingdom, so, for the moment, it cannot be held anywhere else."
Corporate pressures and the discarding of nighttime hours
The origin of the negotiations initially contemplated Wembley Stadium as the main venue for the function; However, the live broadcast requirements for the American market generated logistical discrepancies. The intentions to set the start of the fight at two in the morning collided with the refusal of the municipal authorities of London, which prompted some of the organizers to evaluate alternative venues outside the European continent.
Despite the fact that various sectors involved in the promotion are pushing to move the show to New York soil, Joshua's corner maintains its refusal to modify the original conditions of the agreement. Regarding the negotiation environment surrounding the evening, Eddie Hearn detailed the position of the parties involved in the international event.
"We are under a lot of pressure. Turki Al-Alshikh, Netflix, it seems like Tyson Fury; it seems that everyone agrees that they want to do this fight at Madison Square Garden. We don't," argued Eddie Hearn in his statements to the radio space. “We want to make it economically unviable for them to change the contract, so that they have no other option but to do it in the United Kingdom,” said the director of the development company.
