Tyson Fury recently confirmed that his heavyweight title fight against Anthony Joshua will go down in Saudi Arabia on August 14. This clash between the two British heavyweights is regarded as one of the most anticipated fights in years, as the winner will be crowned the undisputed champion. Joshua, now 31, enters the ring with the WBA, WBO, and IBF belts, whereas Fury holds the WBC title.
In a historic first for the boxing world, this fight will put all four major heavyweight belts on the line simultaneously.
Britain hasn't seen an undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis held the title between 1999 and 2000. Back then, the criteria for being undisputed were different, and the WBO belt wasn't part of the requirement.
Fury broke the news in a Twitter video, stating that the world's attention would be fixed on Saudi Arabia. He expressed his excitement about crushing Anthony Joshua on a stage of unprecedented scale, describing the bout as the greatest sporting spectacle the planet has ever seen.
The momentum for this fight began after Fury's victory over Deontay Wilder for the WBC title last February. The plans finally solidified once Anthony Joshua avenged his sole professional defeat against Andy Ruiz Jr., a rematch that also took place at the Diriyah Arena in Saudi Arabia.
Few are surprised that Fury and Joshua are finally meeting, as the matchup felt inevitable. The fight has been officially confirmed by the promoters—Eddie Hearn for Joshua, and Bob Arum and Frank Warren for Fury. While Hearn had hinted at Saudi Arabia as the location a week prior, Fury had remained silent on the venue until now.
However, the event hasn't escaped criticism, with human rights activists accusing Saudi Arabia of using major sporting events to polish its international reputation.