Late on Saturday night, shortly after securing a decisive victory in his latest return to the ring, Tyson Fury took a moment to delve into a topic that has become all too familiar. He had just demonstrated his superior skills against Arslanbek Makhmudov, a formidable yet somewhat limited Russian heavyweight, over 12 dominant rounds. However, Fury’s primary focus was on Anthony Joshua and the lingering question of whether the two British boxers would finally square off against one another.<\/p>\n
Inside the opulent Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Fury expressed his confusion: \u201cIt\u2019s been ten years in the making, and despite all this time, there\u2019s still uncertainty about when or if this fight will occur. I really don\u2019t know. I hope it happens, but you can\u2019t force someone to do something they don\u2019t want to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joshua was present at ringside, recording Fury\u2019s commanding performance on his phone. Yet, when the match concluded, he refrained from addressing the long-anticipated bout that has been repeatedly hyped, postponed, and canceled more times than can be recalled. Fury had called him out during a live Netflix broadcast, but Joshua merely stared back without responding. When given a microphone, Joshua’s comments were drowned out by a technical issue that prevented the audience from hearing him.<\/p>\n
Even after moving to a different area for an interview with a functional microphone, Joshua hesitated to engage with the topic. It is understandable, given that he is still recovering from a tragic car accident in Nigeria that resulted in the loss of two close friends just four months ago.<\/p>\n
Joshua attempted to address Fury directly, stating, \u201cI\u2019ve been pursuing you for the last decade. You tell me what you want, and I\u2019ll meet you in the ring when I’m ready. I\u2019m in charge here; you work for me. I\u2019m the landlord.\u201d He added, \u201cContracts are being prepared, and it\u2019s likely you\u2019ll see us in the ring next.\u201d When asked if he needed a preliminary fight before facing Fury, he retorted, \u201cGood question. That fight could be a warmup, considering what I saw tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fury, who had not heard Joshua’s comments, continued to express his frustration. \u201cI didn\u2019t mention Anthony Joshua leading up to the fight, nor have I since his accident,\u201d he remarked. \u201cI\u2019ve respected him and given him space. Tonight, I called for the fight, but he didn\u2019t respond. In my view, he didn\u2019t seem interested. He looked stunned.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Fury and Joshua have faced considerable challenges in their boxing careers. Fury endured a tumultuous journey while facing Deontay Wilder three times, achieving two wins and one draw, and narrowly losing two fights to Oleksandr Usyk before his recent retirement. In contrast, Joshua appeared to be a shadow of his former self when he lost to Daniel Dubois in September 2024. He returned to the ring last December for a bizarre match against former YouTuber Jake Paul, where he managed to defeat Paul despite a lackluster performance.<\/p>\n
Fury dismissed the notion that Joshua should first fight a legitimate boxer before stepping into the ring with him. \u201cThat\u2019s just another excuse. He just knocked someone out. I\u2019ve just won, too. Let\u2019s make this happen. We\u2019re both in our mid-30s. What\u2019s the delay? This fight should have happened years ago; it remains the biggest matchup in boxing. There isn\u2019t a venue we couldn\u2019t fill.\u201d When asked if discussions for a two-fight deal with Joshua were underway, Fury replied, \u201cLet\u2019s focus on one fight first. That\u2019s all we need.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also shrugged off speculation about facing the winner of the upcoming WBO title fight between Fabio Wardley and Dubois. \u201cWhat do I have to prove against those inexperienced fighters?\u201d Fury questioned. \u201cI want to fight Anthony Joshua, a fellow British boxing icon, same age as me. Let\u2019s make it happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fury expressed surprise that Joshua did not enter the ring that night. \u201cYes, I was genuinely surprised. He was brought here for a reason\u2014to face off and finalize the fight. I signed months ago. He had his chance to accept and shake hands. Let\u2019s get this done. But he was evasive and didn\u2019t provide any clear answers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fury also dismissed the idea of splitting a substantial pay-per-view revenue evenly. \u201cI\u2019m not concerned about that nonsense,\u201d he stated. \u201cI have more money than anyone here could spend. He\u2019ll get his share, and I\u2019ll get mine. If he earns \u00a3600 million and I just \u00a350, that\u2019s on him. It\u2019s beyond that now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spencer Brown, Fury’s manager, expressed confidence, stating, \u201cI believe the fight will definitely happen this year.\u201d However, Fury appeared skeptical. When asked if Joshua required more time to heal and possibly a preparatory fight, Fury replied, \u201cHe\u2019s faced his challenges, and so have we all. I\u2019ve had my own struggles, including attempts on my life. We\u2019ve all been through something. But in this sport, you\u2019re either a boxer or you\u2019re not. Taking interim fights in heavyweight boxing can be dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fury continued, \u201cIf it\u2019s not Anthony Joshua next, I\u2019m not interested in boxing anymore. I\u2019ll indulge myself until I reach 35 stone. I\u2019m done. It\u2019s either him or nothing for me. I have no interest in up-and-coming fighters or those trying to prove something. Rankings and titles don\u2019t matter to me anymore. My focus is solely on AJ. That\u2019s the fight that defines British boxing.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Late on Saturday night, shortly after securing a decisive victory in his latest return to the ring, Tyson Fury took a moment to delve into a topic that has become all too familiar. He had just demonstrated his superior skills against Arslanbek Makhmudov, a formidable yet somewhat limited Russian heavyweight, over 12 dominant rounds. However, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8114,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[265,566,569,667,88],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uk-anthony-joshua","category-uk-boxing","category-uk-sport","category-uk-tyson-fury","category-uk"],"yoast_head":"\n