Both Fury and Joshua have come close to fighting each other before, with the pair desperate to settle the score once and for all before they both call it quits
Tyson Fury believes a heavyweight clash with British rival Anthony Joshua will happen before the end of their respective boxing careers.
Fury and Joshua have always been destined to meet in the ring, but a fight has never materialised. The pair looked like they would face off in 2021, however, a court of arbitration ruled that ‘The Gypsy King’ had to face Deontay Wilder in a trilogy bout instead – with the Brit going on to knock ‘The Bronze Bomber’ out in the 11th round of the contest.
Despite losing the rematch to Oleksandr Usyk in 2022, there was a slight possibility that Joshua would finally settle the score in the ring with the fellow Brit in December of that year. Both ‘AJ’ and Fury agreed financial terms, but talks collapsed and ‘The Gypsy King’ would then go on to face Derek Chisora.
A clash between the two stars recently took another huge blow after Joshua was beaten by Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last month. ‘Dynamite’ went on to drop the two-time heavyweight champion four times in total before securing a sensational knockout in the fifth round to retain his IBF title.
Fury was in attendance for the heavyweight clash and was caught on camera reacting to the finish. “Listen, that’s cost me £150million, the silly c***,” said Fury. “Of course it has; he’s f***ed. Turki, you better pay me now.” Despite Joshua’s defeat, ‘The Gypsy King’ still believes the pair will go-toe-to-toe in the ring, even if it takes until the age of 50.
Speaking in an interview ahead of the console release of the boxing video game ‘Undisputed’, Fury said: “Joshua knows he’s getting it. Even if we’re 50 years old he’s got to fight me. There’s no escaping it, he cannot escape me. Even if we are 50, we’re still going to sell out Wembley. That is a fact, anybody they can all get it.”
Fury is currently preparing for his mouthwatering rematch with Usyk. Back in May, the Ukrainian became the first fighter to defeat the Brit in a professional contest. Ahead of the sequel, the 36-year-old revealed he intends to knock out his heavyweight rival. “I needed to get Wilder out of there or he got me out of there and that’s the type of fight it had to be,” Fury said. “It had to be a 50/50 gunsling with the biggest puncher in history or else he’d have chinned me in round nine. Going into the rematch with Usyk, it’s going to be the same. I’m going to roll the dice and it’s going to be you or me… best foot forward and swing away. I’ve never been afraid to get knocked spark out. I’ve always put it on the line every time.”
He added: “There’s no secret! I’m going in there to knock you out because I don’t think I’m going to get a decision no matter what I do. I don’t think I’m going to get a boxing decision, so I’m going to have to take it out of the judges hands like I did in America that time and I’ve got to get him (Usyk) out of there. Hand on heart, I have to get him out of there to see victory.”
As for Joshua, it would appear that he’s hopeful of facing Dubois once again. Frank Warren, ‘Dynamite’s’ promoter, has revealed that the young Brit’s next fight will take place early next year and is very much open to the rematch between the two heavyweight giants with February 22 pencilled in for a fight card in Riyadh.
