Tyson Fury has openly stated that, in his view, there is merely a "one per cent" chance that his highly anticipated bout with Anthony Joshua will actually go ahead. The heavyweight champion made these comments during a recent appearance on his YouTube channel, Furocity, where he was asked to put a percentage on the probability of the fight materialising. The backdrop to Fury’s remarks is a protracted saga that has seen the two British heavyweights inch closer to a showdown that would be billed as the biggest event in the history of UK boxing. After months of back‑and‑forth negotiations, a tentative agreement was finally announced on a Thursday, confirming that the clash would be staged at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Friday, 11 December.
The deal was presented as a landmark moment, with Saudi financier Turki Al‑Alshikh’s The Ring and UFC boss Dana White reportedly involved in the promotion, while Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn publicly disputed the claim that an American promoter could take part. Despite the official announcement, Fury has cast doubt on the solidity of the arrangement. In the interview, he suggested that Joshua might be looking to back out, and he quantified his skepticism by saying there is only a one‑percent chance the fight will happen.
"If you have a guy who wants to fight and a guy who doesn’t want to fight, how are you going to make that fight happen?" Fury asked rhetorically. He then reflected on his own lengthy career, noting that he has fought nearly 40 professional bouts over more than a decade and has faced every major champion in the sport, yet every attempt to line up a fight with Joshua has fallen through. "Has anyone ever asked themselves why?" he added.
The announcement of the Fury‑Joshua bout also highlighted the involvement of high‑profile backers. Turki Al‑Alshikh’s The Ring, a Saudi‑backed entity, and Dana White were said to be co‑organising the event, though Eddie Hearn – who handles Joshua’s promotional duties – has openly claimed that an American promoter cannot be part of the deal. After Johnny Fisher’s recent victory at the Copper Box, White weighed in, saying, "I'm involved in the fight.
If Eddie Hearn really cared about this fight, it would have happened a long time ago. He could finance it himself. I've said this a million times – sell tickets, secure a TV deal, and sell the fight." White, however, expressed uncertainty about the fight’s future, noting that the party supposed to be facilitating the event has, in his view, been hindering it. "The guy who's supposed to be helping the fight has been hurting the fight the entire time.
He hasn't done the fight any favours, let's put it that way," White said, adding that more clarity would emerge in the next few days. Fury also revealed that his original plan was to stage the bout in Ireland’s Croke Park, a venue that has hosted only two boxing matches in its 142‑year history. He explained that he had signed a contract for the Ireland location and that, had he stuck to that agreement, the fight might never have materialised at all.
"In the beginning, I signed the contract to do the fight in Ireland, in Croke Park, because that's where I wanted to do the fight. So if I'd have stuck to my contract, this fight wouldn't have happened, would it?" he said.
He went on to stress his willingness to do whatever it takes to see the fight happen, even joking that he would "tie concrete blocks to my boots" to make it a reality. Despite his earlier pessimism, Fury concluded the interview on a more hopeful note, acknowledging that the contracts already signed could force the fight to proceed.
"I do think it'll happen because from what I'm hearing, they've been paid already. So the fight's got to happen," he asserted.
He added that the only scenario in which the bout might be cancelled would be if Joshua decided to return the money, which Fury believes is unlikely. The situation remains fluid, with both camps still navigating contractual obligations, promoter disagreements, and logistical challenges.
While Fury’s one‑percent estimate underscores the uncertainty surrounding the event, the financial commitments already made and the public statements from key stakeholders suggest that a cancellation would be costly and damaging to reputations. Fans, analysts, and the broader boxing community continue to watch closely, hoping that the heavyweight showdown will finally come to fruition and deliver the historic spectacle that has been promised for over a year.