Why Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua is ALREADY in doubt as 'shock replacement fight lined up'

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The blockbuster heavyweight fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua already appears to be in real doubt, just two days after it was officially announced for December 11 .

After years of frustration, contract wrangling, negotiations and near-misses, arguably the biggest showdown in the history of British boxing was finally confirmed on Thursday.

Following initial plans to take it to the United States and New York’s Madison Square Garden, the Principality Stadium in Cardiff was eventually revealed as the venue for the super-fight, which is expected to take place under a closed roof in the early hours of the morning UK time - live on Netflix - in order to cater for a US television audience.

Fury and Joshua are scheduled to meet at an opening press conference to be held in London on Wednesday (September 30).

However, the bout has already been thrown into significant peril, with Ring Magazine’s Mike Coppinger reporting on Friday night that it could be called off due to “issues”, with a replacement fight being considered between Terence Crawford and Ryan Garcia, or potentially even Fury and David Benavidez.

Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix later said that the “issue” in question was the involvement of UFC president and Zuffa Boxing chief Dana White , whom boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh is understood to want involved in the event as a promoter.

However, that appears to be a major issue for Joshua and particularly his long-time promoter, Eddie Hearn , who has been engaged in a public feud with White for a number of months now, since Conor Benn’s shock defection from Matchroom Boxing to Zuffa back in February.

Hearn has stated that it is written into Joshua’s contract that White and Zuffa are not involved in the fight, while Fury has said that he removed the same stipulation from his own deal.

Fury - who is currently training in Florida - has now claimed that Joshua and Hearn are trying to back out of the fight, stating in an X-rated rant on social media: “Breaking news. Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn are trying to pull out of this fight. They’re saying they’re not gonna fight now. They’re little s*******e cowards.

“It’s mainly to do with Eddie Hearn’s ego. He’s making up a million different things and threatening ‘we’re not gonna fight, we’re not gonna fight, we’re not gonna fight’. He’s cost us the biggest fight in boxing history. Clown.”

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Fury also shared a mocked-up fight poster of him and undefeated three-weight world champion Benavidez - the current unified cruiserweight title-holder - on Instagram and also said: “AJ, pull your finger out you little white-flagged, yellow-bellied coward.

“Now you’ve got Turki Alalshikh finding alternative real men who will fight at the drop of a hat. So I hope you are happy you cowardly b******s.”

An angry Hearn had earlier told iFL TV after a press release stating that the fight will be in partnership between Turki Alalshikh, Ring Magazine and White: "Even Netflix put out a press release [saying] the fight will be in conjunction with Dana White ... There's loads of battles to come on that because that ain't happening either.

"Dana White cannot be involved with this fight promotion. Netflix clearly didn't get the memo. No one talks to each other.

“I speak to Sela and Turki: 'No. Dana White is not involved in the fight. You've got a contract that says that. He won't be at the presser ... Blah, blah, blah’.

"Then Netlix say the fight is in conjunction with Dana White. Now we have to go through that process and deal with it. It's a little bit annoying but as I've shown through the UK battle that we won, we stand by our contracts."

Speaking to Sky Sports on Friday, White said: “Well, I think that the press release speaks for itself. I've been saying since the beginning of the talks of this fight that I was going to be involved in the promotion of it.

"I mean Eddie Hearn must spend 24 hours a day doing interviews. I've never seen a guy do more interviews in my life, but it's all good.

"It's all good for the fight and I think a lot of people have become aware of the fight by the fight not being done yet.

"You think Netflix [care] what Eddie Hearn thinks? I guarantee they do not. I mean: 'not involved in the promotion of the fight', I'm sitting here promoting the fight right now. Who's going to stop me?"

On White’s involvement, Fury told FurociTV : "In Joshua's contract, apparently, it says that TKO and Dana couldn't be involved.

"That was [also] in mine, but I took it out. I took it out so he could be involved.

"I want him involved. Two baldies together. I like Dana, a good businessman and a good guy.

"He's a man who came from nothing to being a billionaire and look what he's done with the UFC.

"I think he can do really well in boxing. I think he drives Eddie Hearn out — feeds him to the fishes."