Former heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua wants Tyson Fury bout nextannounced his retirement from boxing once again on Monday through a video shared on social media.
This isn’t the first time Fury has retired—he previously stepped away in April 2022 after defeating Dillian Whyte. However, he made a comeback later that year in December.
“I’m going to make this short and sweet, I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing,” Fury said in a video posted on Monday.
“It’s been a blast, I’ve loved every single minute of it and I’m going to end with this. Dick Turpin wore a mask. God bless everybody, see you on the other side.”
Fury also announced his retirement in 2013 and 2017 through social media posts, but both retirements were short-lived.
In December, Fury was defeated by Oleksandr Usyk for the second time as he attempted to win back his heavyweight world titles.
There had been rumors about a long-awaited fight between Fury and Anthony Joshua this year, with both fighters nearing the end of their careers.
Following his controversial loss toTyson Fury on Saturday,December 3, 2023, Cameroonian boxer Francis Ngannou expressed his frustration in a passionate outburst.
Despite holding the title of reigning UFC heavyweight champion, Ngannou faced a split decision defeat after a gruelling 12-round bout.
In the third round, Ngannou successfully managed to knock down Tyson Fury, marking the seventh instance of such an accomplishment in his boxing career.
However, much to the surprise of fans and experts alike, the victory was not awarded to him.
Against all odds and coming out on TOP‼️ Stepping into the squared circle and going toe to toe with the greatest heavyweight in boxing. My brother @francisngannou …you shook up the WORLD‼️ 🌍 pic.twitter.com/bDcWF4Ysiw
This decision was met with widespread criticism for its perceived unfairness, as the majority of spectators believed Ngannou had displayed a performance deserving of victory.
Francis Ngannou landing a punch on Tyson Fury
Taking to social media after the fight, Ngannou didn’t mince words in expressing his frustration with the judges’ decision.
In a series of tweets, he wrote, “This boxing world is wild but some judges should be responsible for their actions. This type of stuff is what fucks up people’s careers,” he tweeted on X.
This boxing world wild but some judges should be responsible for their actions.
This type of stuff is what fucks up people's career. 🙄 #FuryvsNgannou
In a post-fight interview, Ngannou, who remarkably emerged from the bout without any visible injuries, recalled Fury’s pre-fight boast of taking him to school.
Ngannou said, “When we touched gloves, he was like, Let me take you to school and I said you are not taking me to school. That is why, when I knocked him down, I was dancing like you are a bad professor.”
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua’s long-awaited bout could finally come this year and would be the “biggest heavyweight match in the world”.
That was the message on Wednesday from Top Rank president Todd DuBoef, a key member of Fury’s United States promotional team, who wants to see the all-British clash in 2023.
Joshua faces Jermaine Franklin on Saturday night at the O2 Arena in London, though speculation continues to swirl the former could face Fury after his undisputed bout with Oleksandr Usyk fell through.
And DuBoef has suggested the former two-time unified world champ would deserve a headline fight if he defeats Franklin.
He told Sky Sports: “I’ve always said that that is the fight.
“Both of them have great brands, huge fanbases, and fortunately both of them come from the UK, so it’s wonderful that your country has been able to produce these incredible prizefighters.
“That fight is always there, and, to me, is the biggest heavyweight match in the world, because of the personalities and the stories.”
Both camps have pointed the finger at each other after an April 29 meeting at Wembley between Fury and Usyk failed to come to fruition.
DuBoef added: “The frustration is for all of us. All of us are frustrated, right?
“And I think timing has been an issue with trying to make this fight happen. I’m not going to say never, but I think we all want to see this unification and we all have hope.
“But there was a timeline that was set up, and it just got ahead of everybody and it became very tight.
“Fortunately, there’s always hope and an opportunity because I think both fighters really know that this is what the sport wants, and what they want.”
While holding out hopes over the mouthwatering fight between Fury and Usyk, DuBoef claims his client could even face both the Ukrainian and Joshua before the end of the year.
He said: “That’s the way we move. We move with immediacy, and we move trying to figure out and get rationality to a situation.
“I think we’ve always wanted this fight for Fury and Joshua, and we’ve wanted to see Fury and Usyk, and Tyson has wanted that, and the Warrens, and we’ve worked hard in getting this done.
“I would love to see, and you’ve just laid out a great 2023 for the Fury side, if we could do Usyk and Joshua this year, it would be fantastic.”
Tyson Fury’s scheduled fight with Oleksandr Usyk was canceled, and Anthony Joshua will not “sit around and wait” to approach him.
The negotiations between Usyk and Fury for a heavyweight unification match at Wembley on April 29 have broken down, Usyk’s camp said on Wednesday.
Eddie Hearn, Fury’s promoter, then disclosed that he was trying to restart talks with Joshua about a later this year all-British fight.
Joshua, though, is not interested in further protracted conversations after failing to reach an agreement on bout terms twice before, most recently at the conclusion of last year.
“I was supposed to fight him before I fought Usyk, the first time, and he pulled out due to his legal case, the arbitration, with [Deontay] Wilder,” Joshua said.
“Then we had the one for this December [when talks also broke down]. Will the fight with me and him get made? I don’t know.
“Look at all the s*** they are going through now with this Usyk stuff. It’s just crazy. I don’t publicise things, so it’s actually good that people are starting to see what goes on.
“It’s good that people can actually see the s*** that people have got to put up with to make a fight. But Me and Usyk got two successful fights done.”
Joshua added: “I cannot say I am just going to sit around and wait for this geezer [Fury]. There are other great fights out there I can have.
“Without Fury on my record I will not wake up tomorrow and regret my whole boxing career. If he is on it, I am on it, if he is not, he is not. Whatever.”
Joshua is scheduled to meet Jermaine Franklin in London on April 1 as he looks to respond to back-to-back losses to Usyk.
The manager of the Ukrainian fighter Oleksandr Usyk has blamed the “Gypsy King” for the latest breakdown in negotiations regarding their unification superfight.
The two fighters’ camps have been engaged in heated negotiations and social media teasing in an effort to reach a settlement and crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 2000.
Usyk, the IBF, WBO and WBA champion, even agreed to Fury’s 70-30 split in the Brit’s favour and a date at Wembley for April 29 was provisionally set but, according to reports, “other material terms critical to the deal beyond the split” could not be agreed upon.
After months of negotiations, provisions for an April 29 bout at London’s Wembley Stadium have collapsed, with the Ukrainian’s team confirming he has left his training camp.
Egis Klimas, the manager of the WBA, IBF, and WBO heavyweight champion told ESPN that despite his client publicly agreeing to a 70-30 split, Fury continued making demands: “No matter how much Usyk compromised, he was pushed for more,” he said.
Another British fighter in Daniel Dubois is next in line to fight Usyk should they be unable to revive the Fury fight.
The 25-year-old Londoner won the WBA ‘regular’ title last summer after knocking out Trevor Bryan and defended the belt before Christmas.
The WBA officially ordered Usyk to defend his title against Dubois in December but at that stage, it looked unlikely that ruling would affect plans for the undisputed clash against Fury.
The WBA have since set a new deadline for 1 April for Fury vs Usyk to be made, with mandatory challenger Dubois waiting in the wings.
Usyk’s promoter, Alexander Krassyuk, who has held major doubts over the fight going ahead in recent weeks, has welcomed talk of a fight against Dubois in England.
The highly anticipated unification fight betweenTyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk has encountered another difficulty. Usyk, the IBF, WBA, and WBO champion, and Fury, the WBA Heavyweight champion, are in negotiations to square off in April for the title.
Usyk isn’t happy with Fury and thinks The Gypsy King is trying to avoid a fight with him, so the anticipated blockbuster fight may no longer happen.
Usyk infuriation by Fury?
As the stakes for the fight increased after Fury released a video, a disagreement between the two developed.
The Gypsy King argued that Usyk’s team was trying to force for a rematch if they lost and requested a no-rematch clause for the fight.
Usyk then fired back at Fury, calling him Greedy Belly.Usyk’s response The Ukrainian fighter claimed that the rematch clause came from Fury’s side and urged Fury to ink the contract or vacate the belt.
He added that he was not there to play Fury’s games.
Usyk taunts Fury
The upcoming fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury promises to be a fight for the ages. The two boxers will clash in 2023 to unify the heavyweight titles. The trash talking between the two has since escalated, Sports Brief reported. Trash-talking between the two began after Fury beat Derek Chisora to defend his WBC heavyweight title.
Fury called Usyk into the ring and began calling him a little sausage.Fury’s ‘Little Sausage’ jibe Tyson Fury is known for getting under his opponent’s skin with some of his pre-match comments.
The WBC Heavyweight champion is not afraid to publicly call out opponents, often giving them hilarious nicknames.
Tyson Furypraised Derek Chisora for accepting a December 3 fight, aiming a not-so-subtle dig towards Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua.
The two heavyweights will go toe-to-toe at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with Fury’s WBC belt on the line, after the Gypsy King was unable to secure an agreement to fight either Usyk or Joshua.
That led to disappointment among fans, with the initial reception for a trilogy bout against Chisora not a positive one, but Fury always intended to fight before the end of the year and says his opponent has “balls” which others in the division lack.
“You’ve got the so-called guys in the division, the ‘top guys’, we offer them fights but there’s no smoke. You offer it to Chisora, boom, he’s sat here opposite me,” Fury said in Thursday’s press conference.
“The man has got balls. In today’s society, in this boxing game, there’s a lack of balls. You know who you are, these people who don’t want smoke.
“With Chisora, he does what it says on the tin, he goes to war. We’re going to get a war. I did outbox him comfortably the second time, but his style has changed and so has mine.
“When you’ve got two heavy forces colliding with two heavy bombs, someone is getting knocked out. If he lands a big punch on me, I’m getting knocked out. If I land a big swing on him, he’s getting knocked out.
“The fans are going to win, 100 per cent. I promised Chisora for years that we would have a third fight. We’re going to put on a hell of a fight.”
Promoter Frank Warren has outlined Fury’s future in the ring beyond the trilogy bout against Chisora, with a proposed unification bout against Usyk still planned for the first quarter of next year.
“If Tyson comes through December 3, he’s going to fight Oleksandr Usyk and after that he may wind up fighting Joe Joyce,” Warren told TalkSport.
Tyson Furyis considering becoming the new owner of Morecambe to throw “millions” at the League One club.
The WBC world heavyweight champion already has his ‘Gypsy King’ brand embroidered on the Shrimps’ shorts.
After it was announced Fury will face Derek Chisora at Tottenham HotspurStadium in a trilogy fight on December 3, the unbeaten 34-year-old revealed he is mulling over a takeover of the club in the seaside town where he lives.
He told talkSPORT on Thursday: “Quick question, I’m thinking about buying Morecambe Football Club, they’re in League One at the moment.
“So I was thinking I invest X amount of millions in them.”
Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan replied: “By invest you mean throw it at them, invest is the wrong term.”
Fury said: “Yeah, basically throw it at them and keep them going up. I’ve been offered to buy Morecambe Football Club.
“I own all the training facilities anyway and the training gym. So who knows? You might be looking at a football club owner.”
Jordan asked Fury: “You know how to make a small fortune in football?”
The world champion responded: “Start off with a bigger one! It’s the same as being a boxing promoter.”
Tyson Fury’s promoter Frank Warren revealed the Gypsy King is set to face Derek Chisora for a third time in December after talks over a bout with Anthony Joshua broke down.
Fury U-turned on a decision to retire following April’s win over Dillian Whyte and appeared set to meet Joshua after offering him the chance for a WBC heavyweight championship fight last month.
Warren said that fight was “90 per cent” finalised in mid-September, but talks have since broken down, with Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn declaring he would not “play a game” with Fury last week.
With Oleksandr Usyk prepared to wait until 2023 for his next fight, Fury now appears set for a trilogy bout with Chisora, whom he defeated in July 2011 and November 2014.
Asked about the breakdown in talks with Joshua’s camp, Warren told iFL TV: “Obviously that caused a big problem, it went on for three or four weeks and we’ve been struggling to get an opponent.
“We’ve got the highest-ranked opponent now, which is Derek Chisora. That’s where we’ll be going and that will be on December 3.
“What it’s all about is, Tyson will have had one fight in one year, and we were expecting the fight in December would be Usyk, but Usyk wasn’t available.
“Now that looks like – I hope – going on at some time in February, so Tyson wants a fight before then and wants to get out, that’s where we’re at. If he fights Chisora and comes through that, then he’s got the big one.
“Tyson’s head and shoulders above them all anyway. Derek might give him more of a fight than Anthony Joshua – I’m not being disrespectful, I just think he [AJ] is more vulnerable.”
While the fight is yet to be formally agreed, Fury has long desired another meeting with Chisora, saying in August: “I’d always said I’d fight Derek Chisora at the end of my career, and here we are, breaking all records again, setting precedents.”
The breakdown of an all-British heavyweight clash between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury is down to the former’s promoter Eddie Hearn, claims Bob Arum.
A bout between the two – both world champions at varying points in their career – looked to be on the rocks last week after Fury repeatedly issued deadlines to sign a contract for a December 3 date.
Earlier this week, Matchroom Boxing chairman Eddie Hearn admitted the fight looked dead in the water for now after negotiations collapsed.
And Fury’s promoter Arum claims it was his opposite number who is to blame for the turn of events, claiming he “sabotaged” any potential deal.
“He wanted to kill it because even as late as [Monday], if he’d have said let’s all get together and sit in a room and get everything finalised, it could have been done in a couple of hours,” Arum told Sky Sports.
“He didn’t want the fight to happen from the get-go, so he slow-played it.
“I’ve been in this business almost 60 years, so I can tell when somebody doesn’t want something to happen and then slow-plays a negotiation.
“I knew that Eddie would find a way to sabotage the fight. He has nothing left really in his stable and he is clinging to AJ as his only potential attraction.”
Someone sent me a video of your man Eddie, talking about the Wilder fight with you a while back and he says in there if you want a fight made, you, your team and your lawyers move quickly to make it happen.
Fury’s consistent public demands for an agreement have seen him criticised for apparently attempting to backtrack out of any fight, but Arum refutes any suggestion he is to blame.
“Tyson Fury is Tyson Fury,” Arum added.
“He hasn’t been trained in law school so he wants a fight, if he’s imposing deadlines which aren’t really deadlines because he’s sending a message, get off your asses and get this thing done.
“It was clear that was the case. So, nobody should be blamed for this fight not happening, not Tyson, not AJ, not anybody else other than Eddie Hearn.”
Eddie Hearn says Anthony Joshua’s proposed fight with Tyson Fury will not go ahead as things stand, insisting he will not “play a game” with the WBC heavyweight champion.
Fury initially offered Joshua the chance of a December bout last month, with Hearn subsequently revealing positive talks had been held with the Gypsy King’s team.
However, Fury then set Joshua’s representatives a deadline of September 26 to get the fight signed off, and declared discussions were “officially over” when that was not met.
Hearn now appears convinced the fight will not take place, and has hit out at Fury for repeatedly insulting Joshua on social media.
“As far as we’re concerned, the fight’s off. We’re happy to continue the discussions,” Hearn said in an interview with Matchroom Boxing.
“In our mind, he’s not fighting Anthony Joshua. We’re more than happy to continue those conversations, but what we’ve been told is the deadline has passed, and so have the entire country.
“We have sent the final version of the contract back, they’ve come back with points and we were told that the fight is off by the man himself.
“They gave us terms, ultimately, and a date they thought we wouldn’t accept. We did accept that. We were ready to go.
“If they were to sign the contract on Monday [September 26], they had a fight. We were asked to agree the deal by Monday, then we were asked to agree it by Wednesday.
“We got the comments back on Wednesday. We were never going to sign the fight [then], and we were told the fight’s off.
“It’s still there. It’s still open for discussion. But we’re not going to play a game with a bloke that’s just coming out telling AJ it’s off, and then that he’s a ‘dosser’, that he’s got to sign it, etc.
“Have your fight if you fight someone else, and we’ll do our thing and we’ll see what happens.”
WBC champion Tyson Fury believes fellow Brit Joe Joyce is “the second-best heavyweight in the world” and suggested the two could meet in the ring in the future.
Joyce’s stunning 11th-round knockout victory over Joseph Parker at the weekend led to talk of him fighting the likes of Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Parker had not been stopped in his 32 previous bouts, despite defeats to heavy-handed fighters such as Joshua and Dillian Whyte, and Joyce’s win certainly impressed Fury.
“I’ve had a lovely day of watching boxing and watching all the big fights and studying all the heavyweights,” Fury said in a video on Twitter.
“And I’ve got to say that big Joe Joyce is the second-best heavyweight in the world, behind myself.
“I’ve just looked at these prospects who are mandatory for the world title, Zhang [Zhilei] and [Filip] Hrgovic and everybody else. I’ve changed my mind and I think big Joe Joyce is number two heavyweight in the world.”
Fury initially claimed to be retired after stopping Whyte inside six rounds at Wembley in April, but has since been rumoured to be in talks to fight the likes of Dereck Chisora and Manuel Charr.
The undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk is on hold until 2023, with the IBF, WBA and WBO champion needing time to recover from injuries after beating Joshua in their rematch in Saudi Arabia.
Fury himself has been involved in a public spat with Joshua, but it appears any plans for those two to fight later in 2022 are over after Joshua failed to meet Fury’s deadline for signing the contracts.
And Fury has not ruled out facing Joyce in future, adding: “Who knows if he’s number one? One day we’ll have to find out who’s better out of me and him.
“But at the moment I’m ruling the roost because I’m world heavyweight champion and he’s not.”
Tyson Fury’sco-promoter Frank Warren has accused Anthony Joshua’s camp of radio silence, stating they have “bent over backwards” in pursuit of an agreement.
The saga surrounding the ‘Battle of Britain’ bout on December 3 rumbles on without an apparent conclusion, after Fury issued his rival a deadline of Monday to sign a contract before he walked away.
Joshua failed to do that, leading Fury to close the door on a bout, but he handed an olive branch to his compatriot once again on Thursday, though made it clear a verdict would need to be reached before the end of the day.
On AJ’s side, Eddie Hearn has said he was ‘baffled’ by Fury’s behaviour and dubbed the deadlines as ‘unrealistic’ but Fury’s camp have a contrasting view, claiming they are not getting any responses.
“We’ve done all that’s necessary with BT, ESPN and DAZN. They’re all happy. We gave them a contract. They’ve had it for two weeks and it hasn’t come back yet,” he told TalkSport.
“Ticketing and the venue is ready to go. We’ve agreed transparency with them. Everything in the pot. Everything they needed, co-promotion, the lot – we’ve bent over backwards. We’ve not had anything back.
“I had a bet with Tyson that we’d get it done in the next few days. He said ‘no, Joshua doesn’t want the fight’. I’ve lost the bet. Joshua said he wanted the fight, so let’s get it done. I don’t understand this.”
Fury has consistently made it clear he will fight in December regardless of the opponent, having stepped back into contention after announcing his retirement after defeating Dillian Whyte at Wembley in April.
If a fight against Joshua does not materialise, Mahmoud Charr stands as the most likely opponent for Fury after he took to social media on Thursday to verbally accept a proposal to face the German.
“Mahmoud Charr, it seems now that AJ is finally out, he’s ducked his way out, coward, and you’re the man who wants to fight, so I like that,” he said on an Instagram video.
“I like the fact you’re very vocal and you’re calling for a fight like a man should do. Any man who wants to fight a man should call him out as you’ve been doing to me. So I accept your challenge Mahmoud Charr, let’s get it on.”
Tyson Fury has backtracked on his decision to rule out a December bout with Anthony Joshua after giving his rival until the end of Thursday to agree terms.
WBC champion Fury opened the door for a ‘Battle of Britain’ with Joshua last month after it became clear a unification bout against Oleksandr Usyk would not occur this year.
After weeks of talks between the fighters’ camps, however, Fury said on Monday any chance of the pair meeting was “officially over” after his self-imposed deadline was not met.
But Fury set Joshua, who has lost three of his past five fights, a new deadline in his latest video message on social media that was directed at the two-time world champion.
“My promoter Frank Warren convinced me to let Queensberry [Warren’s company] carry on negotiating with your team this week, despite me knowing you were never going to do this fight,” Fury said.
“So the deadline was Monday. I allowed Frank to continue doing meetings with your team and your broadcasters and all that.”
My promoter Frank Warren convinced me to let Queensberry carry on negotiating with your team this week, despite me knowing that you were never going to do this fight… pic.twitter.com/XpcHOpZJzk
Eddie Hearn has slammed Tyson Fury for his antics in the ongoing discussions for a bout against Anthony Joshua, saying he has been left “baffled by the situation”.
Fury had initially set Joshua a deadline of Monday to sign the contract for a December 3 bout and said discussions were “officially over” after the paperwork was not received.
However, the WBC heavyweight champion then backtrackedon Thursday and issued his compatriot another deadline for the ‘Battle of Britain’ bout, giving him until the end of the day to agree terms.
An imminent end to the saga seems unlikely, however, with Joshua’s promoter Hearn questioning why the Gypsy King was setting “unrealistic deadlines”.
“I don’t want to get involved with back and forths that are going to negatively impact this fight being made, but to be honest, we are quite baffled by the situation,” he told Sky Sports.
“Firstly, when we agreed terms for the fight, it took us over a week to receive a draft contract. We have not had that contract for 14 days.
“Over the next week, we’ve worked tirelessly and had a number of meetings with Queensberry to get the contract in some kind of decent shape.
“Last Monday, we sent our final draft of the contract to Queensberry, only to see that Fury had publicly pulled out of the fight and it was no longer on the table.
“Yesterday we then received comments back from Queensberry on our final draft of the agreement, of which is now being reviewed.
“I’m not sure why Fury keeps setting unrealistic deadlines whilst also offering the fight to a number of other heavyweights for the selected date.
“If he is serious about the fight being made, I suggest he allows Matchroom and Queensberry to keep working hard to make the fight, of which everyone has been trying hard to do.
“You can’t publicly keep pulling out of a fight and then restart negotiations when there has been so many positive conversations had. We’ll see what happens from here.”
Tyson Fury says December’s proposed bout with Anthony Joshua is “officially over” due to the contract not being signed by Monday’s self-imposed deadline.
WBC champion Fury opened the door for a ‘Battle of Britain’ with Joshua after it became clear a unification bout against Oleksandr Usyk would not occur this year.
However, following drawn-out talks between the fighters’ camps, Fury declared last week that Joshua had until 17:00 BST on Monday to put pen to paper on the terms.
That deadline came and went without any official confirmation, and Fury once again took to social media shortly after to declare the heavyweight fight will not be taking place.
“It’s official. D-Day has come and gone,” he said in a video message on his Instagram account. “It’s gone past 5 o’clock Monday, no contract has been signed. It’s officially over.
“Joshua is now out in the cold with the wolfpack. Forget about it. Idiot, coward, s***house, bodybuilder. Always knew you didn’t have the minerals to fight the Gypsy King.
“Regardless of what you say now, I don’t really care. Good luck with your career and your life, end of.”
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn said last week an initial contract offer sent by Fury’s camp was not acceptable, but the parties were “working positively” to reach an agreement.
That led to Fury making his ultimatum to Joshua to sign the contract by Monday or forget about a fight that has been years in the making.
In response, two-time world champion Joshua – who has lost three of his past five fights – said he fully intended to sign the deal, but it was currently with his legal team.
Should Fury be true to his word, the 34-year-old could look to arrange a title defence against Mahmoud Charr in the same December slot ahead of facing Usyk next year.
Anthony Joshua has announced that he will sign the contract for a bout against Tyson Fury on December 3, 2022.
The ‘Battle of Britain’ clash seemed to be at risk of a collapse after Fury issued a Monday deadline for an agreement to be signed but AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn ruled out such swift action.
This raised concerns that the fiercely anticipated bout could fall through, as Fury threatened to walk away and fight someone else.
Joshua’s comment calms such fears in a video posted on social media, expressing his intent to sign the agreement.
“I’ve been signing contracts for years. It ain’t in my hands, it is with the legal team, that’s why you hire lawyers. You know the history of boxing, make sure you get your legal terms right,” he said.
“That’s why you have good management and good lawyers. Of course I’m going to sign the contract, it’s just with some lawyers at the minute.”
A fight between Fury and Joshua would likely set the heavyweight scene for 2023, with the winner then poised to face off against Oleksandr Usyk in a unification bout.
Joe Joyce’s victory against Joseph Parker in Manchester on Sunday has set the Brit as the mandatory challenger for Usyk’s WBO title, though he may have to wait for his shot.
There is “no chance” the contract for a proposed all-British heavyweight world title fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will be signed on Monday, says promoter Eddie Hearn.
Monday is the deadline set by WBC champion Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren.
On Friday, Fury said Joshua “does not want to fight” him, with 3 December being mooted as the date for the bout.
“If he [Fury] really wants to fight, he’ll let the teams deal with it,” said Joshua’s promoter Hearn on Seconds Out.
Fury, 34, offered Joshua the fight despite the 32-year-old suffering a second successive defeat by Oleksandr Usyk in August and failing to regain the WBA (Super), WBO and IBF belts he lost to the Ukrainian in September 2021.
Joshua’s team said they have “accepted all terms” to the offer.
Warren said “there shouldn’t be a reason” why the contract could not be signed on Monday.
“I am hoping on Monday we’ll be able to get it over the line. I don’t think there’s a lot of issues and the only thing I think can hold it up at the minute is the broadcasters,” he told BBC Sport on Saturday.
“AJ said he wanted the fight. We’ve agreed the financial terms and we’ve told them they can be involved in all the contracts, setting the budgets for the undercard, everything.”
However, Hearn said his team was getting the contract checked, claiming it was “all over the place” after waiting nine days to receive it.
“If he doesn’t [want to fight Joshua], and I guess he doesn’t, then he’ll do what he’ll do and the fans might even fall for it,” Hearn said.
“But what I am seeing, the fans aren’t falling for it.
“We have a meeting on Monday, with DAZN, with BT, with everybody but it’s going to take time. If he wants to put a time frame of Monday on it then it’s clear to the whole public he doesn’t want the fight.
“It’s not getting signed on Monday so if he is walking away on Monday the fight is off.”
WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury says fellow Briton Anthony Joshua “does not want to fight” him for the world title later this year.
Fury, 34, offered Joshua the fight despite the 32-year-old failing to regain the WBA (Super), WBO and IBF belts he lost to Oleksandr Usyk.
Joshua’s team said they have “accepted all terms” to the offer.
But Fury said: “I will be fighting on 3 December if [Joshua] does not sign this contract, which I don’t think he will.”
He added: “You’ve had the contract for I don’t know how long and ain’t signing it. You do not want to fight.”
In the same social media post, Fury used an expletive to describe Ukraine’s Usyk, who called for a unification fight with Fury after winning his rematch with Joshua.
Fury’s promoter Frank Warren then said the match “will be made” and Usyk, 35, said in an interview posted on his YouTube page on Thursday that he wants it to be one of his last three fights before retiring.
“The unification of all the belts is much more important than just a fight or another defence,” he said.
“I want to outbox Fury and I don’t want to work that much just for another defence. There’s much more than that and I can achieve it.”
Usyk also wants a lucrative “freak” fight with super-middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez before ending his career at Kyiv’s Olimpiyskiy Stadium.
Alvarez claimed a dominant points win over Gennady Golovkin last weekend to settle their trilogy with a second win for the Mexican, 32, after a controversial draw in his first bout with the Kazakh.
“I can have three more fights at the very most,” Usyk added.
“It is the most realistic to be in my top form. With Fury, Canelo and a farewell fight at Olimpiyskiy.
“With Canelo he said that he wanted to fight me. It would be a freak fight just for the sake of earning money.”
Following Usyk’s points victory over Joshua in Jeddah on Saturday night, Fury posted on social media to say he would adore the opportunity to compete against the WBA Super, WBO, IBF, and Ring Magazine world heavyweight champion.
That would imply that the Gypsy King, who has been given till Friday to decide on his destiny, will inform the WBC that he does not intend to give up their championship.
And Warren, the 34-year-promoter old’s in the UK, is convinced that the highly anticipated fight can be signed and sealed with the least amount of controversy
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “There were talks before the [AJ] fight and Tyson had to make his mind up.
“But he’s made his mind up and he wants the fight. Usyk wants the fight and we’ve got to work out a way to make it happen.
“They both know the fight’s worth a lot of money. So it’s whether it’s going to go back to Saudi or somewhere else.
“But there’s no problem in making the fight — both camps get on very well with each other.”
Fury relinquished the Ring title and announced his retirement in the build-up to the Usyk-Joshua rematch.
But it appears his time away from the spotlight will be shortlived and Warren firmly believes his man has what it takes to dethrone Usyk.
Asked how Fury would beat the Ukrainian, he said: “Being Tyson Fury!”
Speaking last week, Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum also suggested the WBC champion would return.
The Top Rank supremo said: “Once this fight is over we’re going to put together a total unification match between the winner and Tyson.
“If Usyk wins the fight, which I expect, that will be quite easy to do because we’re very close to his people. They’re the same people who manage Vasyl Lomachenko, who fights for us.”
Anthony Joshua has urged Tyson Fury to “come and fight me” and says staging a unification bout between the pair as their next contest would be “amazing”.
Joshua, 30, holds three of the four world heavyweight titles, with fellow Briton Fury in possession of the other.
No fighter has ever held all four at heavyweight but both men have contracts in place to face other opponents next.
“Logically, to prove yourself as number one, I have to fight Tyson Fury. He has to fight Anthony Joshua,” said Joshua.
“If you really want to say you’re number one, come fight me. Let’s get it on. I’ve got the rest of the belts so it only makes sense,” Joshua told Sky Sports.
“I’m the unified heavyweight champion of the world, he’s the WBC champion. What will it prove, me and him fighting? There will be one dominant figure in the heavyweight division that will have all of the belts and become undisputed.”
‘The fight needs to happen’ – Joshua
Joshua is due to defend his IBF, WBA and WBO world titles against Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev next but their proposed 20 June contest was postponed.
Fury – who won the WBC title from Deontay Wilder in February – was set to face the American again in July but as a result of the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, organisers are now pointing to October as the earliest time the fight can take place.
Earlier this week Wilder revealed he has undergone surgery on an injury to his left bicep. The 34-year-old said he was like “a zombie” in the ring during his stoppage defeat in February and added he does not yet recognise Fury as champion given they are set to meet in a third bout.
Any fight between Joshua and Fury would be the biggest contest ever between two Britons at any weight.
Changes to their schedules in light of the coronavirus outbreak have led to speculation Joshua could now side step Pulev and that Fury might do the same with Wilder. Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum has, however, underlined the fact both Pulev and Widler have contracts in place, so such moves could only be made with all parties in agreement.
Asked if facing Fury needs to be his next bout, Joshua added: “It would be amazing to tell Pulev ‘I think it’s best if you step aside for now’ and to tell Wilder ‘we have bigger fish to fry’.
“That fight [with Fury] needs to happen because there will never be another time like this again.”
‘Not next but increasingly likely’ – analysis
BBC Sport boxing reporter Luke Reddy:
The end of April will mark three years since Joshua defeated Wladimir Klitschko and called Fury’s name in the ring immediately afterwards.
Fury too has brought Joshua’s name up time and again between that wonderful Wembley night and his own recent moment of glory in hammering Wilder in Las Vegas.
There is the possibility that both Wilder and Pulev could agree to some step-aside money in order to pave the way for an epic British battle. But getting one fighter to do so is not straightforward, meaning that getting two looks a very tough ask.
So this fight happening next seems to have become a convenient – if tough to fulfil – narrative to maintain momentum during this testing period for a sport on lockdown.
What is becoming clear, however, is both sides and the promotional machines behind them are keen to deliver it sooner rather than later. That will probably not be next but if both Joshua and Fury can keep their belts into the start of 2021 it is beginning to look like the early part of next year could finally deliver that huge bout.
Anthony Joshua has urged Tyson Fury to “come and fight me” and says staging a unification bout between the pair as their next contest would be “amazing”.
Joshua, 30, holds three of the four world heavyweight titles, with fellow Briton Fury in possession of the other.
No fighter has ever held all four at heavyweight but both men have contracts in place to face other opponents next.
“Logically, to prove yourself as number one, I have to fight Tyson Fury. He has to fight Anthony Joshua,” said Joshua.
“If you really want to say you’re number one, come fight me. Let’s get it on. I’ve got the rest of the belts so it only makes sense,” Joshua told Sky Sports.
“I’m the unified heavyweight champion of the world, he’s the WBC champion. What will it prove, me and him fighting? There will be one dominant figure in the heavyweight division that will have all of the belts and become undisputed.”
Joshua is due to defend his IBF, WBA and WBO world titles against Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev next but their proposed 20 June contest was postponed.
Fury – who won the WBC title from Deontay Wilder in February – was set to face the American again in July but as a result of the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, organisers are now pointing to October as the earliest time the fight can take place.
Earlier this week Wilder revealed he has undergone surgery on an injury to his left bicep. The 34-year-old said he was like “a zombie” in the ring during his stoppage defeat in February and added he does not yet recognise Fury as champion given they are set to meet in a third bout.
Any fight between Joshua and Fury would be the biggest contest ever between two Britons at any weight.
Changes to their schedules in light of the coronavirus outbreak have led to speculation Joshua could now side step Pulev and that Fury might do the same with Wilder. Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum has, however, underlined the fact both Pulev and Widler have contracts in place, so such moves could only be made with all parties in agreement.
Asked if facing Fury needs to be his next bout, Joshua added: “It would be amazing to tell Pulev ‘I think it’s best if you step aside for now’ and to tell Wilder ‘we have bigger fish to fry’.
“That fight [with Fury] needs to happen because there will never be another time like this again.”
Deontay Wilder has blamed the extravagant costume he wore during his ring-walk for his defeat to Tyson Fury in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The previously undefeated American entered the ring in Las Vegas wearing a 40-pound outfit designed to celebrate Black History Month.
He went on to be stopped in the seventh round by Fury after assistant trainer Mark Breland threw in the towel.
Wilder was knocked down by a right hand from Fury in the third round and again by a body shot in the fifth.
The 34-year-old also fell another two times and appeared to struggle with his balance.
Speaking to Yahoo Sports in the aftermath of losing his WBC title, Wilder said: “He didn’t hurt me at all, but the simple fact is that my uniform was way too heavy for me.
“I didn’t have no legs from the beginning of the fight. In the third round, my legs were just shot all the way through.
“A lot of people were telling me, ‘It looked like something was wrong with you.’ Something was, but when you’re in the ring, you have to bluff a lot of things.
“I tried my best to do so. I knew I didn’t have the legs because of my uniform. I was only able to put it on (for the first time) the night before but I didn’t think it was going to be that heavy.
“It weighed 40, 40-some pounds with the helmet and all the batteries. I wanted my tribute to be great for Black History Month. I wanted it to be good and I guess I put that before anything.”
Tyson Fury’s promoter Frank Warren says if fans want to see a unification fight with Anthony Joshua “we will make it happen”.
The British heavyweights now hold all of the division’s belts between them, after Fury, 31, beat Deontay Wilder, 34, to claim the WBC title.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn said “let’s give the fans what they want”.
“Of course we want to see the fight,” Warren told BBC Sport. “We’ve been trying to make it for two years.”
“Hearn kept saying was it’s got to be 70/30 [the purse] in favour of AJ and so on and so fourth.
“The tables have turned now. I have no problem with 50/50. I think Tyson would deserve more but 50/50, no problem.
“This is about the boxers and more importantly the fans. If they want to see the fight we will make it happen.
“In the meantime Eddie Hearn is acting like the guy standing outside your house with his nose pressed up against the window and keeps spouting off about Tyson.”
The immediate prospect of the fight hinges on the fact Wilder has the option of a rematch with Tyson Fury and has 30 days to invoke a clause in his contract.
Hearn says if that happens then Joshua, 30, will face Kubrat Pulev in a mandatory IBF bout, with the promoter in talks to hold the fight at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 20 June.
Hearn told BBC Radio 5 Live: “The fight we want more than anything is the undisputed fight. The person that holds the key to that is Tyson Fury. If we can get that next we are all in on that fight.
“I think 50/50 is a very straightforward deal. Frank’s going to have his views but it’s a pretty straightforward deal. Joshua is the bigger commercial draw.”
Tyson Fury has defeated Deontay Wilder to win the WBC, vacant The Ring heavyweight title and also retaining the lineal heavyweight belt.
Both boxers had their first fight in December 2018 which ended on a split draw. The rematch saw Wilder suffer the first loss in his career so far.
Fury showed class as he dominated Wilder in Las Vegas and knocked him down twice before the towel was thrown in from Wilder’s camp in the seventh round.
A clear punch in the opening round gave Fury the advantage as it made Wilder back away from him more often while he charged aggressively as he had promised to do.
The third round saw Wilder get an uppercut and jab from Fury which made them tie up. It was followed by a punch that landed him on the ground.
He survived the round but was on shaky legs all through.
Wilder was knocked down again on the fifth round as he was still yet to gain himself from the shock of the third round.
Fury continued to dominate until Wilder’s camp threw in the towel in the seventh round to end the match.
Anthony Joshua has backed Tyson Fury to defeat Deontay Wilder, insisting his fellow Brit can “hurt or out-box” the American.
Fury will challenge Wilder for the WBC heavyweight championship on February 22 in Las Vegas, before Joshua is expected to defend the IBF, WBA and WBO titles against Kubrat Pulev with the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the likeliest venue.
Asked about his rivals’ rematch, Joshua exclusively told Sky Sports: “Wilder coming through is better because [a fight with me] is what people have been eagerly anticipating.
“But I think Fury can win. For Wilder to win he has to knock Fury completely out, and he couldn’t do that the first time.
“For Fury to win, he can hurt Wilder or out-box him. Fury has more to his arsenal so that’s why I’m leaning to him.
“Tyson Fury can punch a bit. He’s underestimated with his punching power which makes him dangerous. If you underestimate someone it makes them dangerous because you don’t respect them until you get hit.
“Fury is a really good boxer, to a certain degree, so he has the upper hand. Wilder isn’t the best of boxers but he has a right hand – if you can avoid that, you have the beating of him.
“Good luck to Fury – it would be great to have two heavyweight champions here in England.”
Joshua insisted he still wants to crown an undisputed champion in 2020: “I’m still clawing after the last belt that’s out there. I know I’ll get my hands on it eventually.”
He said about becoming a two-time champion: “I don’t want to do what Andy Ruiz Jr did, and lose it straight away. I want to hold it for a number of years.
“Trust me, a different beast has been awoken.”
Joshua had previously claimed he could make a “curveball offer” to fight the winner of Wilder and Fury’s rematch, tempting them away from a third fight with each other.
Promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports on Wednesday a deal would be easier to make with Fury than with Wilder.
“Wilder said he has no interest in Joshua, and Joshua is irrelevant. That is baffling,” Hearn said.
“That’s why I want Fury to win because I know he’s up for it! One phone call with me, [Fury’s US-based promoter] Bob Arum and [Fury’s management] MTK.
“AJ wants to fight Fury, Fury wants to fight AJ. It’s a two-minute call with MTK and Bob Arum, done deal.
“But I’m not sure who will win [Wilder vs Fury 2]. The comments worry me that we’re in the same position.
“The winner of that fight will be under so much pressure to fight Joshua that, this time, it will be unavoidable.
“The curveball is in terms of; those guys are preparing for their [third fight] and we have an opportunity in place that we can present to the winner to move them away from [a third fight],” Hearn explained.
“If the loser wants [a third fight] then we’re tied.”
Wilder and Fury battled to a draw when they first met in December 2018.
Meanwhile, Oleksandr Usyk is still expected to face Derek Chisora but later than planned.
Hearn said about Usyk: “He started camp for March 28 but his elbow was still a bit sore from his last fight. His physios and doctors said he was better off delaying it by four weeks.
“They wanted to fight at the end of April but we couldn’t get a venue so we move Usyk vs Chisora to the end of May. They didn’t want to arrange a fight without being 100 percent. It will take place this summer, virtually guaranteed, we are just finalising the venue.
“Same as Dillian Whyte vs Alexander Povetkin – done deal.”
Tyson Fury produced the most destructive performance of his boxing life to end Deontay Wilder’s five-year reign as WBC heavyweight world champion in seven thrilling rounds of their Las Vegas rematch.
The Briton, 31, pummelled his rival in a way few could have imagined following their 2018 draw, flooring him in the third and fifth rounds while constantly backing up the most-feared puncher in the division in a way no-one has done before.
A jab and right hand – the combination with which Wilder has wiped men out repeatedly – sent the American down in the third, stunning the MGM Grand Arena.
Wilder, making his 11th defence, fell again before the round was out – this time a slip – and looked ragged under the pressure, before a right and left hand to the body sent the 34-year-old down in the fifth.
Fury delivered everything he had promised, transitioning from his hit-and-move style to overpower, outwork and bully his previously undefeated rival until the towel came in during the seventh round.
This was more than a world title win, it was a statement – and as Fury was held aloft by his corner after victory was sealed, the days of depression, weight gain and despair that cost him the belts he claimed in 2015 seemed a lifetime away.
Britons treated to a masterclass
Tyson Fury was carried to the ring on a throne
Thousands of British fans who had descended on Vegas saw their hero take an age to arrive at the ring on a throne, sporting a golden crown. It was the only time Fury moved slowly all night.
He hit pads in the ring as Wilder made his ring walk – just as he did 15 months earlier in Los Angeles – and his start was rapid, a flurry of hooks prompting chants of “there’s only one Tyson Fury” from the crowd.
Actors Michael J Fox and Jason Statham, as well as Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes, watched as Fury raised his hand at the end of the opening three-minute round and things began to feel markedly different to their first meeting.
He simply did not take a backward step, forcing Wilder to the ropes and ensuring the champion had no say in the pace of proceedings. And in the third round, those who had paid the kind of ticket prices that made this the highest gate ever in Nevada, rose to their feet at the sight of Wilder floored for only the second time in his career.
A right hand behind Wilder’s ear – the same shot with which the American had floored Fury nine rounds into their first fight – did the damage. Wilder then fell again as Fury simply bulldozed him. At the bell, the pair glared at one another and Wilder knew he was in a place no fighter wants to be. The Britons sitting ringside did not want to be anywhere else.
Was the weight Fury had gained making the difference? Was it the new training set-up? Whatever it was worked to perfection. He was putting on a boxing clinic and a right-left combination to the body dropped the stunned Wilder once more in the fifth.
Fury was docked a point for punching on the break but he did not seem to care or blink at the punishment, instead continuing to feint and twitch to set shots up before unloading on a man who had started a slight favourite. He led 59-52 59-52 and 58-53 on the cards when the towel came in.
Fight week had seen repeated debate over where this meeting ranked in the pecking order of the greatest nights of heavyweight action, but little consensus. What we can say with certainty is that this was a masterclass.
Wilder flounders as Fury reaches the summit (again)
Wilder, under-appreciated through half a decade as a champion, knew this was the night he could fully silence doubters. Some 43 fights into an undefeated career his ability was still questioned by many, and scorned by some.
Wilder’s fabled right hand never showed up. It was telegraphed time and again and the Alabama fighter – who was cut close to his left ear – quickly left the arena to go to hospital for stitches on the damage.
Coming in at the highest weight of his career may be offered up as an explanation for his shortcomings, but the gulf between the fighters was huge.
In the years since Wilder first won the title, Fury has claimed three world belts, lost them without fighting amid problems with drugs, alcohol and depression, and gained the kind of weight that meant many assumed his boxing career was over.
Now he is back at the top, with a back-story that has helped shape cult-hero status in the UK and now a burgeoning profile in the US.
He may flippantly say this title means little to him. He may continue to threaten to walk away from boxing. We can be certain he will lead us all a merry dance until the day it is all over. But when it is, this win will be remembered.
There will be talk of a third Wilder fight and talk of a historic all-British meeting with Anthony Joshua.
But the next moves can wait for now as here, on a Vegas Strip where dreams are so often dashed, Fury completed his journey from personal despair to sporting glory.
What a ride it has been. Hopefully he is now better placed than the first time around to live with one of sport’s sweetest of introductions – heavyweight champion of the world.
‘Not bad for someone with pillow fists’ – what they said
Tyson Fury speaking to BT Sport Box Office: “I told everybody with a pair of ears that the Gypsy King would return to the throne. My last fight everybody wrote me off. I was underweight and over-trained. I’m a destroyer. Not bad for someone with pillow fists.
“I’m a man of my word. I told Wilder, his team, the world. We trained for a knockout; we wasn’t tapping around in that gym.
“I talk like this because I can back it up. People write me off, they look at my fat belly and bald head and think I can’t fight. He fought the best Tyson Fury, we’re both in our primes.
“I expect him to ask for the third fight. I know he’s a warrior and I’ll be waiting.”
Deontay Wilder: “The best man won on the night. My coach threw in the towel but I’m ready to go out on my shield.
“I had a lot of things going on coming into this fight but it is what it is.
“I just wish my corner would have let me go out on my shield, I’m a warrior. But [Fury] did what he did and there’s no excuses.”
Former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis: “Congratulations to Tyson Fury on a huge win and bossing his way to the WBC and Ring heavyweight straps. Once again you showed up big.
“The best fighters solve puzzles. Tonight Fury solved the puzzle that was Wilder by making him fight going backwards where he’s not as explosive. Big-manned him.”
Deontay Wilder believes Tyson Fury is scared and will be having sleepless nights before their world heavyweight title rematch later this month.
The pair fight in Las Vegas on 22 February for Wilder’s WBC championship.
Their bout in December 2018 ended in a controversial draw with the American knocking Fury down twice, although the Englishman also thought he had won.
“When you get knocked down by someone, you never forget it or how they did it,” said 34-year-old Wilder.
Speaking on a media conference call from the United States on Tuesday, he added: “Deep down I feel he’s nervous, very nervous from what happened the first time.
“When you go in there for a second time it has to be stressful and you definitely can’t sleep at night.
“He’s worried and I don’t think his confidence is that high because of the state I left him in before.
“I gave this man concussion and it will happen again because the head is not meant to be hit, especially by the power of Deontay Wilder, so he has a lot to think about.”
Both men are unbeaten with their draw in Los Angeles 14 months ago being the only time they have not won a professional fight.
Fury, 31, last fought against Sweden’s Otto Wallin and, despite sustaining a bad cut close to his eye early on, won via a unanimous points decision.
However, since then Fury has changed trainers, moving from Ben Davison to Javan ‘Sugar’ Hill Steward, the nephew of the late Emmanuel Steward, who trained Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko.
“Fury can say he beat me by a wide margin but he doesn’t believe that – that’s why he wants to change so many things,” added Wilder. “If he believed he won he wouldn’t have changed much – the next thing he is going to do is go to a spiritual advisor.
“Wallin had a game plan and executed it. That fight should’ve been stopped with a cut so deep and I look forward to re-cutting that eye.
“Once it’s open again and the blood is in his face I’m coming in for the kill. I don’t play around.
“I knocked him out the first time but I didn’t get it and I’m going to knock him out again.”
Wilder not worried about ‘coward’ Joshua
Wilder won the WBC heavyweight championship in January 2015 and has successfully defended the belt on 10 occasions – the same number of defences as legendary heavyweight Muhammad Ali managed between 1974 and 1978.
The other major heavyweight titles – the IBF, WBA and WBO – are held by Britain’s Anthony Joshua after he regained the belts in December by winning a rematch against Mexican-American Andy Ruiz, a fighter he lost to six months earlier.
But Wilder, who has 42 wins and one draw as a professional and never fought Joshua, said: “I’m not worried about that coward, he barely got his titles back, never mind trying to step in the ring with the king.
“He never wanted to fight me. He has been out of the picture and no-one is talking about him anymore.
“The heavyweight division is on fire and it’s my job to keep it that way. It’s a tie-break with Muhammad Ali and I’m looking forward to setting some history on February 22nd.
“Fury has pillow-esque fists. After the first fight I didn’t feel sore. I took all of his punches. He’s just a big man who can move around the ring, his power is not there.
“The Gypsy King is going to be floored and he’s definitely not getting up.”
Tyson Fury says he would “love” to take up Anthony Joshua’s offer of sparring before he faces Deontay Wilder.
Fury, 31, drew with WBC world heavyweight champion Wilder in 2018 and is set for a rematch on 22 February.
Joshua, who holds the IBF, WBA and WBO belts, feels Fury would be more likely to agree to a fight for all four titles and offered to help his fellow Briton.
“I would love to have you in camp, work out for this fight and give Deontay Wilder a proper beating,” said Fury.
“I hope you mean it, as I’d love to have you in training camp with me. When I do beat Wilder I will fight you AJ no problem.”
Fury offered his “congratulations” to Joshua for his win over Andy Ruiz Jr on 7 December, where he reclaimed his world titles after losing to the Mexican in June.
Joshua says he has already been “studying” Oleksandr Usyk, who he could face in the short term given the Ukrainian fighter’s status as mandatory challenger with the WBO.
Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev is also a mandatory challenger with the IBF, meaning the prospect of any fight between Joshua and Fury or Wilder still appears some time away.
Fury’s bout with 34-year-old Wilder is said to be taking place in Las Vegas, although no venue has yet been confirmed for the bout.
“I think honestly he might beat Wilder next time,” Joshua told Sky Sports News.
“I think Fury would fight me quicker than Wilder would, so if that’s the case I want him to win. Imagine that fight on British soil.
“If Tyson needs me, I’ll go out and spar with him to get him ready for Wilder.”
