Tyson Fury has warned that there is just one day remaining to secure a location for the proposed July heavyweight title unification fight against Anthony Joshua, with the 'Gypsy King' hinting he could walk away from the deal.
Last summer, a giddy, shirtless Tyson Fury announced in an Instagram video that his advisor, alleged Irish mobster Daniel Kinahan, had helped secure a deal for two gargantuan showdowns between the two battling Brits - before several promotional and broadcasting bumps in the road threatened to scupper the fight.
Around a month ago, Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn again raised hopes that the fight can be arranged when he announced both Joshua and Fury had signed contracts ahead of a July fight - but what wasn't quite so loudly expressed by the Matchroom Boxing chief was that the contracts reportedly hold an expiry date, which Fury says is fast approaching.
Fury took to social media once again on Friday to sound the alarm ahead of the possible crumbling of a superfight, writing that there is "one day left" for the terms to be agreed as they relate to the most recent contract between the two boxers.
It is thought that the hold-up is is largely down to a location for the fight not yet being agreed, despite interest being reported from the Middle East.
And, boxing being boxing, it is also assumed that there are more than a few wrinkles with regard to broadcasting rights and any number of the other variables which go into an equation of this magnitude.
But just minutes after Fury took to Twitter to express his frustration, Joshua also went online to provide fans with a "quick update".
"Quick update," he wrote. "Myself, @258mgt & @MatchroomBoxing are working really hard to make the fight happen. I want to give my fans what they want & you know I’ll do whatever I can to deliver. Hoping to share some positive news soon."
The timing of Joshua's tweet was interesting, given that it came roughly an hour after Fury's and has prompted questions as to which side is more responsible for the negotiations apparently grinding to a halt.
If and when the two fighters do step into a ring, however, some fans are saying that Joshua, and his promoter Eddie Hearn, might quickly regret it.
"AJ won’t agree. He and Hearn lose everything after the fight," one fan suggested, while another wrote that Joshua's only path to victory is if he lands a "lucky shot".
Another, though, was a tad more conspiratorial.
"Something isn't adding up here," they said. "One side clearly don't want it."
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