We've been here before. The teases, the "imminent" announcements, the social media nonsense. But this time, something feels different — and not necessarily in a good way if you're hoping to watch Fury and Joshua scrap on home soil.

Negotiations for the heavyweight showdown have entered what Matchroom Boxing CEO Frank Smith is calling a critical window. His words, not ours: "100 per cent" critical. The next seven to ten days will apparently determine whether this fight actually happens at all this year — and where on earth it lands.

New York Is Now Very Much on the Table

Here's the rub. When the fight was first signed, the contract explicitly stipulated a UK venue. That's what Joshua's side agreed to. That's what they pushed for. But somewhere along the line, the Saudi delegation and The Ring Magazine have started floating Madison Square Garden as their preferred option, and suddenly the location is very much up for debate.

Smith was measured but honest about it: if shifting to New York is what gets this fight made, Matchroom can live with it — even if it stings. "It will be disappointing for it not to be in the UK," he said, "but at the same time if it means seeing the fight, we all want to see that fight happen."

AJ has fought in New York before, so it's not uncharted territory for him. But British fans who've waited years for this one deserve better than a transatlantic flight to watch it.

November Is Possible — If Everyone Gets a Move On

Smith flagged November as a realistic target, specifically later in November, but only if significant progress is made in the next week. The fighters need eight to ten weeks of dedicated camp away from promotional duties — which means decisions need locking in now. No more dithering.

For what it's worth, both men came through warm-up bouts last month. Fury stopped Mariusz Wach in seven rounds; Joshua knocked out Kristian Prenga, though he had to recover from an early knockdown to do it — and [that performance drew some pointed questions about the quality of the test AJ was actually getting](/getohedz/boxing/jake-paul-was-tougher-test-for-aj-than-prenga). Neither result screamed elite, but both men are sharp and ready.

Fury, for his part, has been doing his thing on Instagram — promising a "big announcement" is coming "imminently" and telling fans everything is "good in the hood." Netflix also dropped a promotional clip during WWE coverage with a "coming soon" tag on it. So the machinery is moving. The question is whether the suits can catch up.

Smith's parting shot was telling: "I'm very confident we will see that fight and AJ will knock out Tyson Fury this year." Bold prediction from the man whose job is to sell the fight — but at least he's not hiding behind vagueness.

Our Take

Stop messing about. This fight has been circling the drain of "almost confirmed" for long enough. If New York is what gets it over the line, fine — take the money, take MSG, and announce the date. British fans will grumble and then buy the pay-per-view anyway. What nobody wants is another month of Instagram teasers while the window quietly closes. The pressure is on. Get it done.