A major controversy has emerged from the launch press conference for the highly anticipated Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua bout, after Saudi boxing promoter Turki Alalshikh made pointed comments about pop star Dua Lipa and her alleged views on Arab people.
Speaking at the event on Wednesday, Alalshikh addressed the decision to stage the historic heavyweight clash at Principality Stadium in Cardiff rather than at a London venue. During his remarks, the Saudi official made unexpected comments about the British-Albanian singer, suggesting she would not perform at the event due to personal feelings about boxing, himself, and potentially about Arabs in general.
“I will be honest today, I know that London wouldn’t give me the stadium until 2am, and I know that Dua Lipa will not perform in the stadium, because she doesn’t like boxing, and maybe she doesn’t like me,” Alalshikh stated during the press conference.
He then went further, adding a more personal dimension to his claims. “No, I think she has something with the Arab and, you know, it is my blood. I cannot change it,” he said.
The comments have raised eyebrows across the boxing and entertainment worlds, particularly given the lack of any public statement from Dua Lipa herself regarding the event or her views on the sport. Representatives for the Grammy-winning artist have been approached for comment but have not yet responded.
The Fury vs. Joshua matchup had been the subject of intense speculation regarding its location, with venues including Madison Square Garden in New York and Wembley Stadium in London previously mentioned as possibilities. The decision to hold the event in Cardiff came after what Alalshikh described as logistical challenges in London.
“I have two reasons, and I know London won’t deliver it; they won’t give me the stadium until 2am… Wales delivered it; it’s still the UK, the town of Ryan Giggs, let’s do it,” the promoter explained.
Alalshikh emphasized that his decision to bring the bout to Britain came at significant financial cost, revealing that staging the event in the UK represented a potential loss of $70 million (£52.8 million). He argued that the timing and time zone considerations were essential factors in the decision-making process.
“Put yourself in my shoes; there’s a situation to lose $70million (£52.8m); the best is to have it in a good time zone,” he said, defending his choice while also expressing his appreciation for British boxing fans.
“Nobody questioned me about UK. I love the British people, I try to deliver everything for them,” Alalshikh added.
The event marked the first time Fury and Joshua had come face-to-face publicly following the announcement of their long-awaited showdown. Both stars along with Anthony Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn, expressed gratitude to Alalshikh for financing what many consider to be one of the most significant bouts in British boxing history.
Hearn, who has been vocal in his push for the event to take place on British soil, acknowledged the effort required to secure the UK venue. He thanked the British public and boxing community for applying pressure to keep the bout in the country.
“I’m excited. Turki, I know we’ve fallen out, but I promise you this’ll be the greatest night you’ve ever had in boxing,” Hearn said, addressing Alalshikh directly.
“This guy (Joshua) has changed boxing in this country. So has Tyson Fury. We are the envy of the boxing world,” Hearn continued. “We can’t stage it anywhere else. Thank you to the British public for putting the pressure on. We couldn’t do it, we failed.”
The promoter’s remarks about Dua Lipa, however, have overshadowed some of the excitement surrounding the announcement. While Alalshikh suggested the singer had declined to perform due to her feelings about boxing or Arabs, no evidence has been presented to support these claims. It remains unclear whether Dua Lipa was ever formally approached to perform at the event.
