The development is notable because Joshua’s existing contract reportedly requires the fight to take place in the United Kingdom. Any move to the United States would require that provision to be renegotiated.
The possibility of Fury-Joshua being staged in Las Vegas raises an obvious question. Why take one of Britain’s biggest boxing events away from British fans?
“This fight should be in the UK, that’s where the fans wanted it, but there are time constraints, weather issues.
“We need to get it sorted soon, as if it is in the U.S., the fans need to book flights, if it is in the UK, they still need to get time off work,” said Fury’s manager, Spencer Brown, to The Athletic.
While Brown pointed to practical concerns, there may be a larger commercial reason behind the growing interest in Las Vegas.
Fury and Joshua would have little trouble selling out Wembley Stadium. The rivalry has been building for years and remains one of the biggest fights that can be made in British boxing. The situation is different in the United States.
Although Fury remains a recognizable figure due to his trilogy with Deontay Wilder, neither he nor Joshua is viewed by American fans as the top heavyweight in the sport. Both men have lost twice to Oleksandr Usyk, neither currently holds a world title, and both are nearing the final stages of their careers.
That reality could explain why Dana White’s involvement is becoming an increasingly important part of the conversation.
Fury and Joshua do not need White to sell out Wembley Stadium. British fans would fill the venue regardless. The bigger challenge is convincing American sports fans that the fight is a must-see event.
White has spent more than two decades building the UFC into a mainstream sports powerhouse and has developed a connection with American combat sports fans that few boxing promoters can match. His direct style resonates with the blue-collar audience that helped fuel the UFC’s growth.
Just as important is the UFC’s promotional machine. Every UFC pay-per-view, Fight Night event, press conference, and social media platform becomes an opportunity to market Fury-Joshua to millions of fans who otherwise might view it as a fight between two aging former champions.
If Turki Alalshikh, Netflix, and the other parties involved see the United States as the biggest growth opportunity for the event, Dana’s ability to generate interest beyond boxing’s traditional audience may be one of the strongest arguments for bringing the fight to Las Vegas.
Joshua still has a tune-up he needs to take care of first against Kristian Pregna on July 25th. As for Fury, he’ll be fighting in August against a still-to-be-determined opponent.
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