There appears to be real momentum behind the biggest bout that Britain can book. It’s one that could have been made for a decade, but, like Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao, when it comes to Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua, it’s a case of better late, than never.
While Joshua remained active in the sport, Fury slipped into another retirement following his back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk. The 6-foot-9 fighter returned to the ring April 11 with a lopsided decision win over Arslanbek Makhmudov, and immediately challenged AJ to fisticuffs. Though Joshua appeared unfazed, it seems, with hindsight, like he was focused more on getting a bout booked than for any in-ring face-off shenanigans.
Eddie Hearn, in his latest update, after all, indicates that it will be signed and sealed imminently before being delivered later in the year,
“There’s a good chance it will get done over the next week.”
— Eddie Hearn to The Sportsman
The fight, if it were to be made, is the second-part of a two-bout agreement Turki Alalshikh presented Joshua via Hearn, which the Matchroom chairman recently said was something they’d probably agree to.
With Fury completing the second part of that deal, and likely an extension should they both agree to a seemingly contractually-mandated rematch clause, the only question which remains is whether the first fight is against Deontay Wilder — who beat Derek Chisora earlier this year — or an alternative tune-up, to prepare him for Fury.
Joshua, at 36, is a two-time unified champion with 33 total fights to his name. Fury, meanwhile, has beaten Wladimir Klitschko and Wilder (twice).
