Mike Tyson has dismissed the prospect of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury staging their blockbuster heavyweight fight in New York, insisting the all-British showdown belongs in the UK — even if his own ban from entering Britain would keep him away from ringside.
After years of verbal sparring, stalled negotiations and repeated near-misses, Joshua and Fury had appeared closer than ever to finally sharing the ring in one of the most eagerly anticipated fights in British boxing history.
Our News Outlet reported that the heavyweight rivals are understood to have agreed contracts for a November 20 clash in New York City.
But the proposed American venue has not impressed former world heavyweight champion Tyson, who told Our News Outlet that a fight of this magnitude should be staged on home soil for the British fans.
“It’s going to be a great fight, it’s going to be great for boxing… even though I can’t go — I’m barred from London — I think London should get the fight,” said “Iron” Mike, whose criminal record prevents him from travelling to the UK.
Tyson Fury has indicated that his long-discussed fight with Anthony Joshua may now be unlikely to take place
Fury’s fiery outburst featured shots at promoter Eddie Hearn and labelled Joshua a “coward”
Mike Tyson has rejected the idea of Joshua and Fury taking their heavyweight showdown to New York
The former heavyweight champion was jailed for rape in 1992 and has also been convicted of assault, cocaine possession and driving under the influence.
‘They’re both English and if they come here, all the English people are going to come anyway. So you’re home already, let’s do it there!’
‘Everybody that [wants] to be there, they’re going to come to the United States – it’s going to be full of English people. It’s just going to be just like it is over there.
‘There ain’t going to be many Americans there because they’ll sell it out. All the English – very few Americans – sold it out when I fought Frank Bruno [twice in Las Vegas].’
Tyson spoke to Our News Outlet during an event at Sugar Factory in New York’s Times Square, where he was promoting new Protein Sliders that he hopes can help people eat more healthily.
The event kicked off just hours after Fury’s rant and the 60-year-old remains hopeful that the fight with Joshua will happen.
‘It’s going to be a great fight, it’s going to be great for boxing. And I think they both still have enough in them once they get the desire,’ he said.
Fury has fought only twice since he suffered a second consecutive defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024. After another brief retirement, the 38-year-old has picked up wins over Arslanbek Makhmudov and, most recently, Mariusz Wach.
Joshua, meanwhile, recently returned to the ring for the first time since surviving a car crash that killed two of his closest friends. He beat the unheralded Kristian Prenga, twice climbing off the canvas in round one before securing a second-round knockout.
‘People think they lose because they can’t fight. They lose because they lose their desire. I’m sure [Joshua] would get back up for this fight. He’s had exciting fights, [recently] the guy dropped him, he got back up and he clocked the guy. That was very exciting.’
Joshua beat the unheralded Kristian Prenga, twice climbing off the canvas in round one
Fury publicly called out Joshua to make their fight after his win against Arslanbek Makhmudov
Tyson spoke to Our News Outlet during an event at Sugar Factory in New York, where he was promoting new Protein Sliders
Hearn revealed it was written into 36-year-old Joshua’s contract that the fight had to be staged in Britain – only for reports of an agreement to fight at New York’s Madison Square Garden to emerge this week.
In a post on Instagram Friday, Fury, 38, said: ‘Quick update: Doesn’t look like they’re going to sign the fight, doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. All because Eddie Hearn and that want more money.
‘They’ve already had that much money off of Turki in the last few years, Eddie and AJ. They’ve had boxing deals, darts deals, snooker deals, they’ve had everything. And yet they’ve had the audacity and cheek of flea-bitten rats to ask for more money from Turki, who’s given you everything combined in the last couple of years.
‘You’re disgusting, money-thirsty pieces of s***. It is what it is, same old cliche a decade later, keep running you little cowards.’
A Knockout Bite: Mike Tyson Debuts Sugar Factory Protein Sliders… coming soon to ShopRite locations
