There is still plenty to be settled in the ring before the boxing world might get the chance to see Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua finally face up in the ring but Ricky Hatton is already looking forward to it.
This hugely anticipated all-British fight feels closer than it has ever been but there are still two big conditions to be met for it to finally happen.
Firstly, Fury must come through his historic undisputed bout with Ukrainian southpaw Oleksandr Usyk on February 17 in Saudi Arabia, then Joshua must win his next fight with Francis Ngannou on March 8, while Ngannou is very keen to get himself a second shot at Fury.
Should both Brits come through, it has been said that they will then be matched up later in 2024. Speaking to Instant Casino, former world champion Hatton spoke about why the fight needs to happen.
“That fight’s massive, the biggest fight in British boxing history. I think it will happen now. It should have happened a few years ago and as fight fans we thought we’d lost it, but now you see Eddie and Frank together out in Saudi, I think as fight fans it’s back, we’ve got AJ-Fury back.
“It needs to happen for British boxing. We’ve had all the YouTubers boxing and the MMA guys fighting the boxers – those fights can still exist – but when we’ve got the two best heavyweights, get them fighting. Have the best fight the best.
“I think the other YouTube fights sometimes overtake boxing because we’re not getting the fights we want, but now it looks like we’re going to get it.”
He was then asked to predict how it goes.
“I think AJ has shown he can be knocked out and with Tyson being so elusive and such a big guy, over 12 rounds you’d expect Tyson to land one. Tyson has been down in the past too, he’s got a lot of miles on the clock.
“He’s also had mental problems and depression, he lost ten stone in weight as well, what damage has that done to his body? Ricky ‘Fatton’ had to lose three stone, Tyson Fury lost ten. That will put miles on the clock.
“Then he had three fights with Wilder which were absolute wars, so as his friend I’m hoping he’s still got that little bit left in the tank for the defining fights against Usyk and AJ. Tyson at his best – the best we’ve seen of Tyson in the Wilder fights – will be enough to beat AJ, but I don’t say that with any real confidence because AJ looks like he’s got his mojo back.”