Ben Shalom has insisted it would be a ‘shame’ if a fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua does not happen on UK soil. Matchroom supremo Eddie Hearn, who promotes Joshua, has been talking up the prospect of a showdown between the pair being arranged in the near future.
Fury’s next fight will be against Oleksandr Usyk, with the Gypsy King hoping to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999. Joshua, meanwhile, is yet to confirm his next move but it has been suggested that he could face either Filip Hrgovic or Daniel Dubois.
A fight between Fury and Joshua has been discussed several times, with talks falling through on each occasion. It seems a bout could finally be arranged in the near future but it remains unclear where it would take place, with most big heavyweight fights now being staged in Saudi Arabia.
Shalom believes it will happen in front of British fans, though, with the BOXXER chief suggesting that it would be a ‘shame’ if the fight is held in another country.
“I personally think it will happen in the UK,” Shalom told Express Sport. “I think it’s such an enormous event for the country, the two biggest heavyweights. It would be a shame if it didn’t, but who can blame the fighters? They’re prizefighters, they go where the money is.
“They’ll earn the most amount of money available and who can blame them? We’ll see, I guess, but I’m confident we will see that fight in the UK.”
Saudi powerbroker Turki Alalshikh has bankrolled a number of high-profile bouts over the last few years, with Fury and Joshua having fought in the Gulf state on several occasions. However, many fans have noted a distinct lack of atmosphere at those events when compared to shows in the UK.
Quizzed on his thoughts about major boxing events taking place in Saudi Arabia, Shalom added: “I think it’s fantastic, we’re seeing fights we otherwise wouldn’t make. A lot of the fights wouldn’t be able to be made in Britain and sometimes wouldn’t make sense, actually. It’s great for those fighters.
“I think if the balance is right, and I think everyone will get the balance right, then we will still see major events happening in the UK in front of a huge atmosphere. As I say, Saudi has done wonders for the sport and made fights that otherwise wouldn’t have been made.”
