Netflix has declared Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua for the autumn — even though Anthony Joshua refused to confirm the fight when put on the spot in the ring following Fury’s victory in London.
Moments after Fury defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Netflix UK posted a message confirming the long-awaited British heavyweight clash as official.
“It’s happening. Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua. This autumn, from the UK. LIVE only on Netflix.”
The announcement hit social media even though Joshua had made it clear only minutes earlier.
Fury and Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh had attempted to push Joshua into confirming the fight live in front of the crowd.
Joshua declined.
“There are negotiations that you go through,” Joshua said when asked directly about facing Fury.
“I’ll fight him, I have no problem with that… we will probably fight next.”
The response fell well short of the public confirmation Fury and Turki appeared to be pushing for.
Joshua rejects public pressure
The moment quickly turned uncomfortable as Fury continued pressing for an answer in front of the stadium crowd and live broadcast audience.
Promoter Eddie Hearn was invited into the ring but declined, leaving Joshua to deal with the situation alone as Fury and Turki attempted to accelerate the announcement.
Joshua was clearly not having what fans on the World Boxing News social media pages labeled as dictation over his need to say yes to the fight immediately.
Whether anything had been discussed before Joshua’s appearance remains unclear. On the face of it, the moment did not appear coordinated.
Instead, Joshua looked blindsided by the attempt to confirm the fight publicly in front of tens of thousands of fans.
The tension eventually boiled over when Joshua raised his middle finger toward Fury and Turki during the exchange — a moment that became the night’s most memorable image.
Turki firmly in Fury’s corner
Turki Alalshikh’s role added another dimension to the moment.
Since entering boxing’s power structure, the Saudi adviser has largely aligned himself with Fury’s side of the heavyweight equation.
During the negotiations for the undisputed fight between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, Turki made little secret of his preference for the two-time heavyweight champion to come out on top.
Now, with Fury vs Joshua suddenly becoming the focus, Turki again appeared eager to move the Gypsy King’s preferred direction forward.
On Saturday night he attempted to publicly steer two of the UK’s most recognisable heavyweights of the past decade into confirming the fight immediately.
The approach looked more like pressure than negotiation.
Joshua was not willing to play along.
Netflix moves first
Despite the hesitation inside the ring, Netflix moved quickly to present the fight as a done deal.
Whether the announcement was premature or based on negotiations already taking place behind the scenes remains unclear.
What is certain is that Fury, Turki and Netflix appeared ready to push the blockbuster matchup forward immediately.
Joshua, however, showed little interest in dancing to anyone else’s tune.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a veteran boxing reporter with 15+ years of experience. He has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside since 2010. Read full bio.