Tyson Fury is already in Miami. Anthony Joshua's team are still apparently haggling over contracts. And somehow Frank Warren wants us to believe this fight is absolutely fine. Right then.
Warren came out this week to calm the noise around a potential Fury-Joshua bout falling apart, insisting it will go ahead — just not where most of us wanted it. America, not London. That's the direction of travel, whether we like it or not.
What's Actually Going On
The story so far: everything pointed to a November clash between Britain's two biggest heavyweight names happening in London. Then Saudi organisers Sela decided they'd rather stage it in the United States, and suddenly the whole thing started creaking. Eddie Hearn, Joshua's promoter, has been pushing to keep the fight on home soil. Fury responded last week by saying the contest was in "serious doubt" because his rival was asking for "more money."
Warren's take, though, is altogether more relaxed. Speaking to Sky Sports News, he said: "I genuinely think it will happen. His Excellency, Turki Al-Alsheikh, he will announce that fairly soon. I know there's been some issues with contracts with Matchroom and AJ; I believe they will iron all those out."
He also confirmed that Fury has already flown to Miami and is preparing for the fight — which either means Fury is supremely confident this gets sorted, or he needed to get out of the house. Possibly both.
Warren even admitted that both fighters would have preferred Wembley. "I think they both want the fight at Wembley, but it's out of their hands now," he said, before adding the caveat that they could, technically, refuse. We all know that's not happening given what's on the table financially.
The Money Argument
Warren didn't dress it up. This is going to America because of the broadcaster holding the purse strings, and because the money involved is serious enough to override anyone's preference for a hometown crowd.
He pulled out the historical comparisons to make the point — Ali versus Foreman going to Zaire, Ali versus Frazier in Manila, Joe Bugner fighting Ali in Kuala Lumpur. "It's nothing unusual," Warren said. He even brought David Beckham into it, noting that Beckham went abroad at the end of his career because of the money. Same logic applies here.
It's a fair point, even if it's a frustrating one. Boxing has always gone where the money goes. The fans in London who've waited years for this fight don't get a vote. That's the game.
Warren's position is clear: the fight is happening, it's happening in America, and the contractual noise between Matchroom and the Saudi organisers will get resolved. Whether Joshua's side agrees on those terms before this whole thing unravels is the only real question left.
Our Take
We want this fight. Everyone wants this fight. But if the choice is America or nowhere, then America it is. Warren sounded measured rather than desperate, and the fact Fury is already training in Miami suggests the wheels are still turning. The real red flag would be if Joshua's camp goes quiet — right now, they haven't confirmed a thing. Until they do, treat everything with a degree of scepticism. Warren backing it is encouraging. Joshua signing on the dotted line would actually mean something.