Audley Harrison backs Fury-Joshua twice, first in US then UK

Audley Harrison has backed Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua to fight twice, with New York his preferred venue for the opening bout and the United Kingdom hosting a possible rematch. The location remains unsettled, with the all-British heavyweight contest potentially taking place outside Britain.

Harrison believes Joshua should accept the fight despite being dropped twice by Kristian Prenga. The former Olympic champion has criticised aspects of Joshua’s recent performance through his social media and Substack channel, but does not think the result should lead to retirement talks. He sees the Fury fight, and a second meeting if the first delivers, as the right next step.

Fury has fought twice in 2026, beating Mariusz Wach and Arslanbek Makhmudov. Harrison said those victories reinforced qualities already associated with the former two-time heavyweight champion: movement, the ability to make larger punchers miss and confidence when facing heavy shots. He also considers Fury’s technical level superior to that of both recent opponents.

New York has emerged as a possible destination for Fury-Joshua, while Eddie Hearn continues to advocate for the contest to remain in Britain. Harrison regards the prospect of losing the fight from home soil as disappointing, but would choose New York rather than Saudi Arabia if those were the available alternatives.

The fight is expected to attract a worldwide audience on Netflix, and Harrison believes British supporters would travel to New York for such a major event. His preferred sequence would then give those fans a homecoming fight if Fury and Joshua meet again.

Harrison has personal experience of the pressure surrounding major British heavyweight contests. He challenged David Haye for the WBA heavyweight title in 2010, losing by a third-round stoppage after months of intense promotion. That experience informs his view of the scrutiny Joshua could face, particularly after the knockdowns against Prenga.