Tyson Fury has urged Anthony Joshua to stop chasing other options and prioritise their long-awaited all-British heavyweight showdown. Fury says the bout should be arranged without further tune-up fights that have repeatedly delayed the matchup.
Fury pointed out that plans for extra fights have often led to injuries or setbacks that pushed the clash back. He stressed there’s no need for more warm-ups and suggested they get the fight on the calendar as soon as possible to avoid further complications.
Ahead of his comeback against Arslanbek Makhmudov on Saturday, Fury noted that Joshua already had a December ring return — an unexpected meeting with Jake Paul — while Fury has been inactive for 16 months. He indicated he’s ready to face Joshua next once he’s through Saturday’s contest.
Casting doubt on Deontay Wilder’s relevance to the immediate plans, Fury dismissed him as a worrying shadow of his former self and said it makes sense to focus on the AJ fight. He reiterated his desire to make the bout happen this year, saying heavyweight boxing is unpredictable and there are no easy fights.
Joshua was at Wilder’s win over Derek Chisora recently, but Fury said he isn’t certain whether AJ will attend Fury’s bout at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He made clear that whether Joshua shows up or not won’t change his approach, acknowledging that fighters and their teams do what they think is best for their careers.
Fury finished by underlining his priorities: he wants the Joshua fight next, but for now his immediate attention is on beating Makhmudov. Once that’s done, he said, they can sort out the long-promised clash with AJ.