Tyson fury says his world heavyweight identify showdown with anthony joshua will take location in saudi arabia on 14 august. The all-british bout has been announced. As one in every of the largest in heavyweight boxing for decades and the winner becomes undisputed champion.
Joshua, 31, continues the wba, wbo and ibf belts, at the same time as fury, 32, is wbc champion. The game will see all four belts on the line in a heavyweight bout during the first time in history.
The remaining undisputed heavyweight champion changed into britain’s lennox lewis from 1999 to 2000, in an generation while opponents did no longer need to preserve the wbo belt to be recognized as undisputed champion.
In saying the combat date in a video on twitter, fury said: “all eyes of the sector can be on the kingdom of saudi arabia and that i can’t wait to destroy anthony joshua on the most important degree of all times. “this is going to do the most important wearing occasion ever to grace the planet earth. Do no longer omit it.”
Plans for a combat among the pair have been set in movement when fury defeated deontay wilder to capture the wbc identify in february remaining year. That came two months later joshua avenged his handiest profession loss to andy ruiz jr, a fight which become also staged in saudi arabia, on the diriyah arena.
Despite the fact that news of the combat is one in all boxing’s worst-stored secrets, neither joshua, his promoter eddie hearn or fury’s co-promoters bob arum and frank warren have officially confirmed it’ll take location. Final week, hearn said that the fight might take region in saudi arabia however fury did no longer mention a venue.
Saudi arabia has confronted criticism from campaigners who’ve accused the center east u . S . A . Of trying to ‘sportswash’ its human rights document. “the real query is will anthony joshua, tyson fury and their groups simply go along with it?” said amnesty worldwide uk spokesman felix jakens.
While joshua fought andy ruiz in saudi arabia in 2019, his promoter hearn insisted saudi involvement become “right here to live in boxing”, calling critics “hypocrites” and again and again referencing the fact different wearing institutions had worked in the us of a.