Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are inching closer to agreeing a deal for an all-British heavyweight showdown.
Fury made an offer to his rival earlier this week after Oleksandr Usyk revealed he would not be ready for an undisputed clash until February or March. Fury insists he wants to fight before the end of 2022 and has turned his attention to Joshua.
Fury insists he will fight on either November 26 or December 3 with Wembley and the Principality Stadium in Cardiff booked respectively. Joshua, however, wanted to fight on December 17 but Fury refused to agree to his fellow Brit's demands.
The former world champion is now ready to accept the earlier date as the rivals edge closer to touching gloves. There remains the issue of the broadcast deal for the fight with Fury signed to BT Sport and Joshua tied down to an exclusive agreement with DAZN.
But all parties have suggested the issue will be resolved to ensure the fight can go ahead, 16 months later than first planned and with only one world title on offer. Fury and Joshua were due to fight last August before a judge ruled the former had to instead fight Deontay Wilder for a third time.
Fury went on to stop the American and then did the same to Dillian Whyte in April while Joshua has lost to Usyk twice in the last 12 months. Earlier this week, Fury revealed he was willing to offer Joshua 60 per cent of a potential £75million purse.
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Fury said: “I’m being bombarded with messages on how much I’m going to pay AJ – everyone is saying 80-20, 70-30, 75-25. The actual answer is I’ve offered him 60-40 – 40 per cent of this amazing fight because I want this fight to happen. He doesn’t have any excuses now not to take it. He can’t say I’ve low-balled him and offered him 20 or 30 per cent. I’ve offered (his) people 40 per cent – take it or leave it."
He then made it clear that Joshua had to agree to the dates he had selected, a move which looked to have put the fight in jeopardy. Fury's promoter Frank Warren then set Joshua a deadline of Thursday night before the death of The Queen forced an extension.
