SportBoxingAnthony Joshua vs Tyson FuryAnthony Joshua and Tyson Fury have wasted their best years not fighting each other - now they are finally set to meet - but in New York, not London05:00, 22 Aug 2026Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury already come with plenty of baggage.‌In sporting terms, they are damaged goods. Six years ago Fury and Joshua held all four heavyweight world titles between them. The stage was set for a two-fight series to crown the division's first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis. But Fury was instead forced to fight Deontay Wilder and Joshua lost his belts to Oleksandr Usyk.‌Now neither man holds a world title and both are on the brink of retirement. Now they will fight for little more than pride. But most fans have long accepted a clash between the British titans will not deliver what it once promised. They are willing to forget the past as long as both men put on a show.‌But they did at least expect that show to be staged in England. Ever since Carl Froch knocked out George Groves at Wembley over a decade ago, we have been spoiled for stadium fights. Joshua has headlined Wembley four times while Fury is no stranger to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn twice filled the Premier League ground last year. But those nights would have paled into insignificance when Fury and Joshua graced the Wembley turf. The idea they will instead finally trade blows in New York is preposterous. No matter how many times you say it, it will never make sense.‌The argument goes that Netflix, after initially agreeing to stage the fight in the UK, were suddenly spooked by an afternoon start time across the pond. But Joshua and Fury are no New York Knicks. They are not Taylor Swift. It would be a challenge to find a New Yorker who believes their city should be hosting the biggest fight in British boxing history.A compromise of fighting in the wee small hours at Wembley proved to be little more than hot air. The Mayor of London was in support but never approached. It was New York or nothing. And if Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn had not dug their heels in, debate over the venue would by now be old news.But even their resolve has weakened.Hearn now accepts a deal is there to be done and with the proposed November 20 date now just 13 weeks away, time is running out. Hearn will no doubt be compensated for ultimately relenting. Joshua and Fury will be laughing all the way to the bank.Article continues belowBut what about the British fans? There will be no reimbursement for a decade spent lining the pockets of their heroes. Even if every Madison Square Garden ticket goes to a visitor, 70,000 will still miss out. After years of frustration, some will say we should be grateful the fight is happening at all. But when the first bell rings 3,000 miles away, it will be a hollow victory indeed.Martin DominMartin has been covering boxing and mixed martial arts since 2011. From small hall shows to the bright lights of the Las Vegas strip - and everything in between - if it involves (organised) violence, he's interested. He has also stepped through the ropes himself but now prefers to leave the fighting to the professionals - unless he's had a few whiskiesChoose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Eddie HearnAnthony JoshuaAnthony Joshua vs Tyson FuryTyson Fury