Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua go face-to-face for first time after rowdy kickoff press conference
Boxing stars Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua held their first face-to-face press conference in London ahead of their December 11 fight. The event was notable for the absence of Dana White and the prominent role of Saudi financier Turki Alalshikh, who is funding the bout.
Why it matters
The fight represents a major cultural event in sports, complicated by the influence of international financing and shifting promoter dynamics.
After more than a decade of waiting, boxing fans finally saw Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua share the stage at their launch press conference Wednesday at the British Airways ARC in London.
Fury and Joshua went face-to-face following the rowdy kickoff festivities, with Saudi fight financier Turki Alalshikh standing between them holding "The Battle of Britain" belt, which will be on the line Dec. 11 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
It is expected that Fury and Joshua will also have the opportunity to become three-time heavyweight champions, with the WBA (Super) title up for grabs, although that was not confirmed at Wednesday's launch press conference.
Fury, his promoter Frank Warren and manager Spencer Brown, alongside Joshua and career-long promoter Eddie Hearn, made up the stage, with Max Kellerman hosting the conference and The Ring's Rick Reeno also in attendance.
There was, however, one notable absence: Dana White.
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