Anthony Joshua this week shared on social media an email that appeared to come from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, specifically President Margaret Goodman, asking for Tyson Fury’s whereabouts so he can be enrolled into drug testing ahead of the proposed showdown between the two heavyweights.
The screenshot of the email, which was on Joshua’s snapchat, is accompanied by the caption: “I’m not accusing TF of anything.”
The email in part reads: “Is Mr. Fury going to enroll? Typically, we enroll opponents at the same time.
“We also need the whereabouts form to enroll either fighter.”
The date the email was sent is unknown but it’s sharing comes after Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn told assembled media on Saturday that, according to Joshua’s contract, Fury should already have enrolled.
“I don’t actually necessarily blame Tyson Fury for that,” Hearn clarified.
“As we’ve found out on many occasions, what’s in AJ’s contract is not necessarily in Tyson Fury’s contract.
“Testing was supposed to start when the original contracts were signed, and it didn’t for them.
“And I don’t think [Fury] had in his contract that it had to start then.”
A source close to the matter told BoxingScene on Sunday that Fury will enroll once the contest is formally announced.
This is the latest inconsistency in the contracts to be revealed. Those inconsistencies, which also included the date and location of the fight, are the main reason why the contest – seemingly all agreed in April – is yet to be formally announced. It has widely been reported that a deal is close for December 11 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
Fury this week reiterated his stance on reason behind the delay: Joshua is a coward.
“At the moment I hear he’s [Joshua] yellow,” he said on a social media before promising not to hurt Joshua while knocking him out quickly.