Fury v Joshua closer but hurdles still to clear

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Fury and Joshua haven't shared the ring for 16 years By Kal Sajad BBC Sport boxing journalist Published 6 minutes ago The long-awaited heavyweight fight between Britons Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua has moved a step closer after they won their respective warm-up fights - but not without plenty of drama. Fury was first into the ring on Friday, stopping 46-year-old Mariusz Wach in seven rounds in Pattaya, Thailand. The fight was a professional contest but it felt more like a public sparring session than a genuine test. Fury was rarely troubled and even found time to kiss Wach on the cheek during the contest. It was held in front of about 1,500 fans, was not broadcast on television and instead formed part of filming for the next series of Netflix show 'At Home with the Furys'. Joshua's night in Saudi Arabia was a different story. Facing little-known Albanian Kristian Prenga, Joshua was expected to ease through his comeback. Instead, he was dropped after just 20 seconds and again in the opening round before producing a stunning turnaround to stop Prenga in the second . With both men winning and contracts already agreed, the biggest fight in British boxing remains on course. Reports have suggested purses of around $100million (£75m) each, so there is every incentive to get the deal over the line. But there are still a few hurdles to clear. After chaotic return, where does Joshua win leave Fury fight? Published 1 day ago 'It's done' - Hearn says Fury-AJ will happen Many expected Fury to fly straight from Thailand to Saudi Arabia for a face-off inside the ring after a Joshua win. Remarkably, the only time they have ever shared a ring was during a sparring session at Finchley Amateur Boxing Club in 2010. After beating Wach, Fury insisted he would not travel to Jeddah and, despite rumours throughout Saturday, he kept his word. Reporters even briefly thought he had arrived when a Fury lookalike stepped out of a car outside the arena. But Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn insisted a fight with Fury will happen next. "It's done. We signed a legally binding contract about three months ago," Matchroom's Hearn said. Netflix is expected to broadcast the fight globally to more than 325 million subscribers but the biggest unanswered question is when and where. New York in November the frontrunner New York's Madison Square Garden in November is understood to be among the leading options as Saudi organisers look to maximise the event's appeal in America. British fans, understandably, want the fight in the United Kingdom - specifically at Wembley Stadium. Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh has previously suggested if the bout were staged in Britain, it would have to start in the early hours of the morning to cater for the lucrative American television audience. It would not be unprecedented. Ricky Hatton's fight against Kostya Tszyu in Manchester in 2005 began at about 02:00 BST while Joe Calzaghe's victories over Jeff Lacy and