Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury in serious danger days before press conference as fresh stumbling block emerges
Anthony Joshua is reportedly considering boycotting a press conference ahead of his all-British heavyweight showdown with Tyson Fury.
Joshua is set to face Fury at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in the early hours of December 12 after years of back-and-forth.
AJ, though, has a major decision to make, with The Sun reporting that he will not begin his Dubai-based training camp until Fury enrols with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).
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Joshua could boycott Fury press conference over contract dispute
The outlet claims Fury penned his side of the deal back in April after defeating Russia’s Arslanbek Makhmudov in London, with Joshua putting pen to paper shortly afterwards. The pair also exchanged verbal blows on the night.
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The Watford-born 36-year-old has a clause in his contract stating that both fighters must sign up to the VADA testing pool.
As of 1pm on September 28, Fury had still not enrolled, which puts the fight and this week's press conference in major doubt.
“Once the fight has been officially finalised, VADA will be the first people we will be calling,” Fury’s team told The Sun.
Usually, fighters are expected to provide whereabouts updates so testers can carry out tests at any time of the day and at any location.
Fury also remains without a British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) licence and has not been tested by UK Anti-Doping, although he can apply to the board to have his licence reinstated.
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Eddie Hearn admits press conference ‘not confirmed’
The first press conference previewing the fight is due to take place in London on Wednesday (September 30), although Matchroom chief and Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has suggested that this has yet to be confirmed.
“At the moment nothing confirmed for next week press conference wise,” he told Sky Sports on September 27.
This comes after a Netflix announcement stated that Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh and Dana White were promoting the fight, while Hearn maintained that the Zuffa boss cannot be involved and will not be at the press conference should it take place.
“Even Netflix put out a press release [saying] the fight will be in conjunction with Dana White ... There's loads of battles to come on that because that ain't happening either,” Hearn said last week.
“Dana White cannot be involved with this fight promotion. Netflix clearly didn't get the memo. No one talks to each other. I speak to Sela and Turki: 'No. Dana White is not involved in the fight. You've got a contract that says that.'”
Eddie Hearn accuses Tyson Fury of ‘not adhering’ to contract agreement over drug testing
Meanwhile, speaking earlier last week, Hearn touched on the drug-testing protocol in place for the bout, explaining how it’s the same as “what’s always been in the contract”.
“It wasn’t adhered to in its form,” the promoter explained.
“I don’t actually, necessarily blame Tyson Fury for that because I don’t think – as we have found out on many occasions – I don’t think what is in AJ’s contract is the same as what is in Tyson’s contract.
“Testing was supposed to start when the original contracts were signed. And it didn’t for them.
“I don’t think it had it in his contract that it had to start then, so this is not me saying he didn’t enroll, I don’t think he was obligated to enroll.
“But in our contract he was obligated to enroll.”
Topics: Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Boxing, Eddie Hearn
Luke Davies