Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua schedule Friday night US heavyweight clash
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are set to stage their highly anticipated heavyweight bout at Madison Square Garden on a Friday in November following a push by broadcasters Netflix.
The long-awaited all-British contest is finally moving forward after the Gypsy King overcame Mariusz Wach in Thailand and his rival survived a scare against Kristian Prenga.
Despite earlier agreements targeting a British venue, reports indicate the bout is almost certain to head stateside.
Streaming giant Netflix is reportedly steering the event towards New York and plans to disrupt traditional boxing schedules.
Friday night scheduling
UK broadcasting norms could be abandoned in favour of a Friday night slot on November 20.
Organisers are reportedly eager to avoid direct clashes with American college football fixtures on the traditional Saturday evening.
Netflix has rarely deviated from its preferred Friday slot, with a previous Terence Crawford bout against Canelo Alvarez being a notable exception.
Speaking after his recent victory in Pattaya, 37-year-old Fury claimed to be entirely in the dark regarding the final destination.
I’ll regroup, and hopefully the next big fight is signed next week, and we head wherever we’re going to head.
The former world champion suggested alternative locations ranging from Las Vegas to Belfast.
Hearn admits US revenue appeal
Eddie Hearn, promoter for the two-time unified heavyweight champion, previously insisted a legally binding contract mandated a domestic venue.
The Matchroom boss revealed that his fighter explicitly requested to compete in front of a home crowd.
However, Hearn has since acknowledged that the immense financial potential of Madison Square Garden has altered those initial guarantees.
There was never any doubt this fight was in the UK until there were some approaches from America in terms of the revenue that could be achieved at MSG.
World title implications
Although both veteran heavyweights are approaching the latter stages of their respective careers, a world title shot could await the victor.
Murat Gassiev recently defended his WBA belt against Peter Kadiru and has expressed a willingness to face either British star.
The Russian champion stated he holds immense respect for both men and would eagerly accept a challenge on English soil.