The long and winding road to boxing’s biggest fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury took another turn this weekend with Bob Arum, Fury’s American promoter, admitting his client is frustrated.
Fury, a guest at MTK Global’s show in Bolton on Friday, stated that he had not been in training despite stories emerging last week that the fight is close, and Arum provided an update citing the current Covid-19 pandemic as one of the fight’s key stumbling blocks.
“That’s his [Fury’s] nature. He’s impatient,” said Arum when speaking to Boxingscene at the weekend. “Listen, if I could wave a wand and end the pandemic, wouldn’t I do it? We’re all on the same page, Eddie’s [Hearn] on the same page, everybody’s on the same page.
“Look, everybody is stuck in the same thing, the coronavirus. Nobody is going to put up money while the virus will impact spectators and everything. All these athletes are unhappy but so am I unhappy. Just be patient and it will straighten out.”
Just last week, it appeared that boxing’s dream fight was almost over the line as Hearn, a guest on The Ak and Barak Show, claimed the fight only needed one signature and that it had to come from Fury’s side. Excitement gripped the sport as a heavyweight unification clash looked close but Arum was quick to address fans who are becoming restless waiting for the British pair to clash.
“You know what I say? Go f— yourself. Find a life. For Christ sake, we’re all dealing with a fraught situation that is none of our fault and we don’t have the expertise if there is any expertise to deal with it.
“There are no substantive issues except for the pandemic. Who’s going to put up money for a site unless they can attract people from the outside? He’s impatient. He’s a fighter. He wants a date. He wants to know how he prepares. We all want that. It is what it is. There are no villains here other than the pandemic. Everyone is behaving appropriately except the pandemic.”