Anthony Joshua says he would take less money if it meant his undisputed world heavyweight title fight against Tyson Fury would take place in the UK.
Joshua, the WBA, WBO, IBO and IBF champion, is likely to face Fury in Spring next year, providing he gets past Kubrat Pulev at the SSE Arena, Wembley, on December 12.
Although both are British, it does not mean the fight will be in Britain. A huge site fee could be available if the fight ends up in the Middle East. But Joshua, who regained his titles from Andy Ruiz Jr in Saudi Arabia last December, says he would agree to a lower purse to bring the fight to Britain.
“Yeah, why not?” Joshua said when asked if he would take less pay to box Fury in Britain. “Now I’m fighting Kubrat Pulev for a massive pay cut. We have to keep the sport alive, Matchroom are taking pay cuts this year we have to keep the sport alive. We are all doing our part at the minute.
“It’s all experience, we are doing it now so I wouldn’t mind doing it again. It’s not harming me, and it’s for a bigger cause as well, it’s a massive cause and a big fight but the main objective is how do we get Fury in the ring.
“It’s always for the fans. As a management team, as a promotional team they’re going to do right by what is financially viable as well, what is going to get Fury to step in that ring, what is going to get me to step in that ring.
The main objective is getting this fight done, there is definitely the element that the fans are the most important and getting them together to watch a British classic. What finances can we gather to get Fury in the ring? It’s a tough one but I would definitely go for the fans this time around, for sure. I’ve been away for two years but I’m back in the UK and I want to stay here as long as possible.
“But fighters have to travel. Like Fury, he says: ‘I’ve fought in Germany, I’ve beaten Wilder in America’. There is a sense of a trail blazer, a road warrior, so I don’t mind getting on the road. I did it last year and I’ll do it again.”
–boxingscene.com
