Nigerian-born former two-time world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Olaseni Oluwafemi Joshua, has gained support from a legend of the sport, ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson for his November 20 ‘Battle of Brits’ versus Tyson Fury to take place in London, though USA provides equal values.
Sports247 reports that, while Tyson admitted that any venue in America would equally have a large number of British fans flood the arena in thousands, he reckoned that it would be better on British soil, since Joshua and Fury hail from the United Kingdom.
Tyson’s verdict would come as a soothing balm for Joshua and his camp, who insist that the contract they signed for the much-expected fight with Fury this year indicated that the bout must take place in the UK, but marketing benefits are now shifting its venue towards USA.
Marketers, organisers and broadcasters of the big fight, including Netflix and Saudi fight financier, Turki Alalshikh, have repeatedly restated that they prefer the bout to take place in America, in order to capitalise on commercial dividends that are bound to arise from prime-time US viewing.
In contrast with that argument, Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn is battling hard to keep the venue on British soil, but latest reports indicate that he might have reluctantly agreed to revised terms that will allow the epic bout go to Uncle Sam’s Country.
Tyson, who fought twice in the UK, where he knocked out Julius Francis in Manchester in January 2000 before stopping Lou Savarese six months later in Glasgow, is banned from Britain, due to his 1992 rape conviction, but he is of a view that London would be an ideal venue for the grudge bout.
The record youngest ever heavyweight champ in history told Daily Mail: “It’s going to be a great fight (and) it’s going to be great for boxing. I think they both have enough in them once they get the desire.
“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! 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. Even though I can’t go – I’m barred from London – I think London should get the fight.”
Sports247 reports further that it promises to be a swansong of song for 38-year-old Fury, who heads into the bout after a fishy seven-round win over 46-year-old Mariusz Wach in Thailand, while 36-year-old Joshua also got a mysterious victory as well just 24 hours later.
‘AJ’ overcame a scare after being dropped twice in the first round by a little-known 35-yerar-old Albanian, Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, before the former champ got a second-round knockout, but Tyson believes both aging Brits still have enough to excite fight fans in November.
