Freddie Cunningham, manager of Anthony Joshua, remains confident an all-British heavyweight fight with Tyson Fury happens before the pair call time on their careers.
The last two years have seen two occasions in which the fight was close to being made. In 2021, negotiations were thwarted by Deontay Wilder claiming his right to a third bout with Fury, whilst the winter talks in 2022 collapsed amidst a barrage of deadline’s from the champion’s side.
It would be understandable if relations between the camps were at an all time low given the recent back and forth, however Cunningham, who runs 258 Management with ‘AJ’, says that behind the scenes both men still want it.
“We tried to do it December, so I think that says everything, doesn’t it? That fight’s there. They both want it. I know both of them talk about it and everything like that, but I’ve seen it behind the scenes, both of them. They want that fight.
“They don’t want to finish their career without that fight, so as and when we can make that happen, it will happen.”
?️ “They both don’t want to finish their careers without that fight. When we can make it happen, it will happen.”@Fred_Cunningham says that a fight between @anthonyjoshua and Tyson Fury will take place before the two fighters decide to hang up their gloves ? pic.twitter.com/CYYQE9kXW3
— 258MGT (@258mgt) December 30, 2022
The British superstars find themselves on very different paths just now, with Fury progressing towards the ultimate goal of undisputed whilst Joshua is left to rebuild following two losses at the hands of the division’s other champion, Oleksandr Usyk.
As Cunningham says, the fight will always be an intriguing one for fans, a meaningful one for fighters, and a profitable one for promoters. It’s one of only a handful that lovers of the sport believe neither man can avoid should they want to leave a true legacy behind.
If Joshua gets back to winning ways and Fury manages to overcome Usyk, there’s no telling what might happen in a year or two.
