Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua press conference set for Wednesday in London

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are due to attend their first joint press conference in London on Wednesday ahead of their heavyweight fight at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on December 11.

Fury, his British promoter Frank Warren, Joshua and Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn are expected at the media launch at the British Airways ARC at Olympia. It will be the rivals’ first face-off since their long-discussed fight was announced last week.

The press conference had been in doubt because of disagreements over Dana White’s involvement in the promotion and questions about Fury’s enrolment in pre-fight drug testing.

Hearn said over the weekend that “nothing was confirmed for next week, press conference-wise”, adding: “with regards to are we expecting to be there, there wouldn't be one without us.” White had also said he did not know whether the press conference or the fight would proceed.

Fury enrolled in VADA testing

Hearn had questioned whether Fury had enrolled in the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association programme, but the former heavyweight champion’s manager, Spencer Brown, has now confirmed his participation.

“We are enrolled in VADA, just to confirm that,” Brown told Playbook Boxing.

When it was put to Brown that Fury had said he would enrol once the fight was announced, he replied: “He’s done that earlier. In our contract we had more time but he’s enrolled. We’ve done everything we were asked to do, everything.”

Fury’s team says he enrolled six days before the contractual deadline.

The testing question followed a separate dispute over White and Zuffa Boxing. Joshua and Hearn have contractual language preventing Zuffa from acting as promoter, while Turki Alalshikh wanted White involved. Netflix’s announcement said The Ring and White would work together to promote the event.

White later described his role as being on Alalshikh’s side rather than with either fighter.

Before Wednesday’s launch was arranged, Fury had cast further doubt on the fight by claiming on Saturday that there was only a “one per cent” chance he would face Joshua next.

“If you've got a guy that wants to fight, yeah, and you've got a guy that doesn't want to fight, then how are you going to make that fight happen?” Fury told FurociTV.

He also questioned why previous attempts to make the all-British contest had failed.

“I've had nearly 40 professional fights, yeah, and I've been on top of this game for over a decade, right?” Fury said. “How did I manage to fight all these people before you, all these champions, yeah, for all these titles that there is in boxing, but, yeah, every time it comes to fighting [Joshua]… it never happens. Has anyone ever asked themselves why?”

Gassiev objects to WBA title proposal

The fight has also been linked to a proposed revival of the WBA’s “super” heavyweight title, a plan formally opposed by the organisation’s current champion, Murat Gassiev.

Fury said he had seen that the contest would carry WBA title status, although the sanctioning body has yet to publicly settle the dispute raised by Gassiev and his representatives.

“I've just, I've just seen today that it's for the WBA World Heavyweight title as well, so that's another little bit of incentive,” Fury said. “Whoever wins this one will become three-time heavyweight champion. So that's another incentive to win.”

Gassiev won the WBA’s secondary heavyweight belt by stopping Kubrat Pulev last December and became the sanctioning body’s sole champion after Oleksandr Usyk relinquished his titles in June. He defended the belt against Peter Kadiru in July, but reports have indicated that the WBA intends to restore its “super” designation for Fury-Joshua.

“Nobody asked me or my team anything before this decision,” Gassiev wrote on Instagram. “I have defended this title in the ring, not in a press release. I am ready to fight anyone – Fury, Joshua, anybody – tomorrow, next month, whenever suits. That has never been a question for me. I would not accept the situation when champion’s future is decided on paper, not in the ring.”

Gassiev’s representatives have lodged a formal objection and asked the WBA to explain its position.

“If anyone should be fighting for the WBA super heavyweight title, it is Murat Gassiev, the reigning champion, not two boxers who currently hold no world title between them,” said John Wirt, Gassiev’s co-promoter and legal counsel.