Before Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury finally fight one another, they’ll take on other bouts that could scupper the big boxing show.
That’s according to industry rumor, and recent comments from Gareth A. Davies who, when speaking to Boxing Social, that “if either of them suffers defeat” then the Fury vs AJ super fight will have been de-railed.
It’s a possibly costly tune-up, however, Fury first fights Arslanbek Makhmudov in an already-agreed heavyweight fight that takes place April 11 on Netflix. And now Joshua, too, is linked with a return to the ring against old rival Dillian Whyte, whom he first beat by knockout in London 11 years ago.
“I get the Dillian Whyte fight for Anthony Joshua,” Davis told Boxing Social. “With all respect to Dillian, and I think he will try to bring everything against Anthony Joshua, I think Anthony wins that, and I think Fury wins against Makhmudov. And I think we get that fight.
“We all know they agreed behind-the-scenes they want this fight, their teams speaking independently with the people putting the money up for that. I do think we get that fight later this year or early next, whether that be in Riyadh or a football stadium [in England].
“But if either of them suffers defeat, I think that’s it.”
Joshua first turned pro in 2013 after scooping medals at the 2011 World Championships (silver) and 2012 Olympic Games (gold), going on to fight Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker, and Alexander Povetkin to announce himself as a global force in fighting.
Fury, meanwhile, remains best-known for his all-time-great trilogy against historic puncher Deontay Wilder.
But though they are both British, they are yet to fight despite a Mayweather vs Pacquiao-esque demand from fans.
And, for Davies, he thinks the prospective super-fight gets de-railed if one of them loses to Makhmudov or Whyte.
“We know it’s a late fight for them in their careers,” Davies told us. “The trajectory they’ve been on, in tendem, with giant stadium fights, world titles, the teasing they’d fight each other that goes back five and a half years.”
Watch the interview in full right here:
For Davies, the AJ vs Fury fight could take place towards the end of 2026, or early 2027.
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