Dana White has confirmed he did not close the venue deal for the heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Seconds Out’s Ayman Khan can now reveal who did.
Speaking to the media in Bournemouth this past June after Chris Billam-Smith defeated Ryan Rozicki, White was questioned on details of the long-awaited British clash.
”I know where it is,” White said at the time. “Call Eddie [Hearn] right now and ask him if he knows where the fight is… call Eddie and ask him who negotiated the contract for the fight… It wasn’t him.”
On August 19, at a post-fight press conference for Dana White’s Contender Series, White was asked to address reports that Joshua vs. Fury was a done deal for Madison Square Garden in New York.
”We finally found out where the venue is… if that’s what the word is then that must be it,” White responded.
At Zuffa Boxing 11 last weekend, headlined by Johnny Fisher vs. Michael Pirotton, White was asked directly if he concluded the venue deal for the Principality Stadium.
”Did I do the deal for Cardiff? You mean did I call and negotiate the deal?” White said. “No, I did not.”
When asked who did, White replied: “Who f****g cares?”
Speaking to multiple sources, Seconds Out has learned who concluded the deal to bring the all-British clash from America back to UK soil.
Representatives from Queensberry Promotions assisted alongside SELA on crucial conversations with the local authority and venue, with SELA subsequently contracting with Cardiff to finalise the venue agreement.
What that means for the relationship between Queensberry and SELA remains uncertain. At the turn of the year, relations appeared to be on rocky foundations following legal dispute over a reported $1 billion loss-of-income claim sought by Queensberry Promotions.
As originally reported by The Telegraph: “Unless TKO and Sela throw in the towel, Mr Warren intends to take his case to the High Court.”
For now, securing Fury vs. Joshua at Cardiff suggests that relationship has taken an upturn.
