Frank Warren has revealed that Tyson Fury wants to stay active before his long-awaited showdown with Anthony Joshua, which has been signed for later this year.
The heavyweight super fight between Fury and Joshua is expected to take place in November and is already being viewed as one of the biggest events in British boxing history.
Joshua, who was inactive since his knockout victory over Jake Paul, and following that, went through a car accident that claimed the lives of his two friends.
He wanted a tune-up bout before the biggest fight in British history, and now he is set to face Kristian Prenga on July 25.
Meanwhile, Fury was out of action for 16 months since his loss to Oleksandr Usyk in a rematch. He made his comeback against Arslanbek Makhmudov in April and secured a unanimous decision victory.
The idea of waiting for Joshua’s fight will keep the ‘Gypsy King’ waiting, and it seems he doesn’t want that.
Fury wants to avoid long layoff
According to Warren, Fury has no intention of sitting inactive.
Speaking on Sky Sports about Fury’s plans, Warren explained that the former heavyweight champion is eager to return to the ring rather than spending another lengthy period out of action.
“He wants another fight, he doesn’t want to be waiting,” Warren said.
The veteran promoter pointed out that Fury could otherwise spend close to eight months away from competition.
“Otherwise he’ll be out the ring for nearly eight months again and he doesn’t want that,” Warren added.
Warren also confirmed that Fury’s team is actively exploring options for an interim fight before the Joshua clash officially arrives.
“He wants to keep busy and we will see what happens in the next few weeks.”
Fury vs Joshua currently planned for November
Warren further revealed that the targeted date for Fury vs Joshua remains November, with hopes of staging the blockbuster event in the United Kingdom.
“I think the [Joshua] fight will take place in November and hopefully it will be in the UK,” he said.
The matchup has been discussed for years and came close to happening on multiple occasions before negotiations repeatedly collapsed.
Now, Turki Alalshikh and Eddie Hearn have confirmed that the fight has been signed. However, no official date or venue has been selected.
Fury’s manager also suggests another fight before Joshua showdown
Speaking about Fury’s plans, Spencer Brown confirmed that the agreement for the Joshua fight is already in place. He also explained that the ‘Gypsy King’ has spent a long period away from the ring and may need another bout beforehand to sharpen up.
“We’ve signed, we’re just waiting, we’re ready to go. But Tyson’s been out of the ring for a long time before coming back, so we’d probably want another fight before the AJ fight, a proper warm-up, and then we’re ready.” Brown said on
The fight date depends on how Joshua will do against Prenga. If he sustains major injuries, the fight with Fury could be further delayed.
And now that Fury’s team is also looking for a tune-up bout, it remains to be seen in the upcoming weeks whether the ‘Gypsy King’ returns to the ring for a warm-up bout or not.
