Tyson Fury wants Anthony Joshua fight to finally happen by ‘the end of the year’
By Duncan Bech, Press Association
Tyson Fury wants to face Anthony Joshua in his next fight after Saturday’s collision with Arslanbek Makhmudov to ensure their blockbuster all-British showdown finally happens.
Fury takes on bear-wrestling Russian Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday having come out of retirement for the fifth time in what will be his first appearance since December 2024.
The 37-year-old’s top priority is to agree a clash with Joshua knowing that previous attempts to settle their long-standing domestic rivalry have repeatedly failed.
The prospect of them clashing in 2026 receded when Joshua was involved in a fatal car crash in Nigeria in December that killed his close friends and team members Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.
But he has since resumed training and was ringside for Deontay Wilder’s split decision win against Dereck Chisora in London on Saturday.
Wilder is now being talked up as Joshua’s next opponent, but Fury warns that history shows they must meet soon to avoid fate intervening once again.
“This fight was supposed to happen so many times over the last 10 years, but then someone has had one more fight in between and someone has got knocked out or injured,” Fury said.
“I think we should get this fight on as soon as possible in case something happens in between.
“The problem is that in heavyweight boxing anything can go wrong, there are no easy fights. And if you get knocked upside down, it’s finished, it’s done. I want it as the fight next and I’m sure AJ feels the same.
“Forget Wilder, the man is a shell of himself. Forget anyone else. Let me get through Saturday and then we will do the fight before the end of the year.
“I’ve been out of the ring longer than he has, 16 months out of the ring. Let’s do it, let’s dance.”
Reflecting on the possibility of Joshua attending on Saturday, Fury said: “If the man comes, fair play. If he doesn’t, I understand.
“Everyone in life does what they have to do for them. They don’t do it for other people, they do it for themselves, especially in business.”
It is also unknown if Fury’s father John will be present at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the pair no longer on speaking terms.
Fury senior last month urged his son to retire, insisting that “he’s past his best” and “he’s not got a leg underneath him” as a result of his trilogy of fights against Wilder.
Tyson Fury said: “I don’t care if he’s there. I’ve got business to take care of and who’s in the crowd is not an important thing to me at all.
“I’m unaware what has happened but he’s entitled to his opinion and I’m sure he’ll change it a million times over and over again.
“I haven’t really paid any attention to it because I take it with a pinch of salt because he might have been upset, he might have been a bit down or have been depressed. I don’t know what he was going through, whatever.”
