It’s one of those unusual situations boxing often finds itself in. Anthony Joshua is set to make a comeback next month, after which Tyson Fury is set to face a yet-to-be-decided opponent. All this takes place before the two head into their blockbuster showdown set for the end of the year.

Yet, despite the time separating them and the engagements in between, talks about the epic showdown have already started taking center stage. One that has drawn particular attention is the fast-emerging rumor that, instead of fighting in England, the two former heavyweight champions could end up squaring off on American soil. While the talks remain unconfirmed, the idea has already come under heavy criticism for seemingly contradicting what many view as the central appeal of the matchup – the biggest fight in British boxing history.

“It’s not complicated. It’s money,” speaking about the fight, Chris Mannix told Sergio Mora on the DAZN podcast. “But this is the biggest slap in the face to British boxing fans that you can possibly make. And I’m pointing the finger straight at Tyson Fury, and I’m pointing the finger at Anthony Joshua because they are the figures with the power here. If it happens, it is so unbelievably greedy on the part of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, guys that have made tens of millions of dollars, hundreds of millions of dollars backed by the support of the British boxing fan.”

“And now you’re telling them that if they want to watch you, they’ve either got to pay $5,000 to fly halfway around the world to get to Las Vegas, spend money on hotels in Las Vegas, or spend more money on tickets in Las Vegas, or if you don’t want to travel there, you’ve got to get your ass up at 4:00 in the morning to watch our fight. It’s early morning Sunday over in the UK to watch our fight. Bonkers and absolutely insulting to British fans.”

A fight at Las Vegas could potentially generate higher-priced VIP and hospitality packages alongside larger corporate sponsorship opportunities. It may appeal to wealthy international travelers and also attract more involvement from U.S. broadcasters and commercial partners. If the rumors ultimately prove true, those incentives may help explain why Fury and Joshua would consider Las Vegas, even as Mannix argued that doing so would come at the expense of their British fanbase.

Yet that may be more of an assumption than an established fact. Many of Fury’s and AJ’s blockbuster showdowns in England were highly lucrative events that fetched them multi-million dollar payouts. Those revenues are difficult to separate from the massive crowds and attention that AJ’s and Fury’s appearance at a British venue would likely attract.

A fight between Tyson Fury and AJ would likely sell out if it were to take place at a venue such as Wembley, with its 90k-plus capacity, or Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Both fighters have spent years cultivating a fanbase that cannot be compared to the following they might enjoy outside England, let alone in the United States.

Numbers matter here. Out of his 38 professional bouts, Fury has had only six fights take place on American soil. In Anthony Joshua‘s case, that number is even much lower, with just two (out of 33): the 2019 title defense against Andy Ruiz Jr. taking place at New York’s Madison Square Garden and the more recent Netflix event against Jake Paul in Miami.

At the same time, it’s worth noting that British fans have, in the past, traveled with much fanfare to the United States for major fights. One notable example is how fans traveled to see Ricky Hatton’s famous fights against Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, both of which took place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, a venue that has emerged as one of the options for AJ vs. Fury.

A closer look also reveals that there have been instances in the past when two British boxers fought in the United States. The most prominent example is Lennox Lewis’s 1997 title defense against fellow Londoner Henry Akinwande at Caesars Tahoe, Stateline, Nevada.

Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua: A superfight facing rough seas

Still, the venue discussion does not exist in isolation. The rumors have emerged alongside a broader power struggle that has already developed around the fight itself. A major promotional dispute has taken shape, with Dana White on one side and Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn, who promote Fury and AJ, respectively, on the other.

The tension, sparked by White’s recent claims that he will be leading the promotional side of the AJ-Fury fight, has snowballed into a major controversy that ultimately saw Turki Alalshikh step in and attempt to broker a peace between the two opposing sides.

As the Saudi power broker tries to navigate another delicate negotiation, the venue discussion has already been addressed by one of the stakeholders, Eddie Hearn. Addressing rumors that mentioned venues ranging from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles to the MGM Grand, Hearn initially told BoxingScene that, because of potentially unfavorable weather conditions in the UK by year-end, when the fight is expected to take place, the United States could be a viable alternative.

But later, he suggested that for the fight to take place in the U.S., certain contractual terms would need to be revised. “There has been some murmuring of the fight taking place in the US,” he told BoxingScene. “The contract specifically states that the fight must take place in the UK. Right now there is no official confirmation.”

It’s still months before fans receive any official confirmation regarding the AJ-Fury fight. So it may be too early to speculate too heavily on such matters.