WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury is now free of mandatory obligations following No.1 contender Dillian Whyte’s shock defeat to Alexander Povetkin at the weekend.
After his contracted trilogy bout with Deontay Wilder, Fury can now pursue a planned, two-fight series with rival WBA Super, IBF and WBO champion Anthony Joshua in 2021, already agreed in principle. Joshua, of course, must also defeat IBF No.1 contender Kubrat Pulev in the interim.
Yet the ‘Gypsy King’ has accused Joshua’s promoters of trying to protect their fighter by lobbying for Whyte, also with Matchroom, to face Fury first before the South Londoner’s crushing loss on Saturday. With the path to a unification bout now a bit clearer, Fury is calling on Joshua and Matchroom to make the fight.
“I know Eddie Hearn and Matchroom and all that were trying to protect Joshua by not letting him fight me, trying to put a hurdle in the way with Dillian Whyte. If you don’t fight Dillian Whyte, you and Joshua won’t fight,” Fury told BT Sport Boxing.
“But the fact of the matter is, I don’t need any of their fighters. Thy need me. I’m the only undefeated world heavyweight champion that’s left out there. All the rest fell by the wayside and were chinned, knocked out or stopped and battered.
“So they need me, I’m a standalone Gypsy King giant, ruling the division, ruling the roost, so I don’t need any of them. I don’t need any of their money, I don’t need what they can bring to the table, but for the fans you want the biggest fight possible, and the biggest fight out there now is me and Joshua so let’s make it happen.
“Stop running away, stop making excuses, put your nuts in your handbag and let’s get to fight.”