After a stunning victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov, Tyson Fury has made it explicitly clear that his boxing career will come to an end unless Anthony Joshua is his next opponent. Fury triumphantly returned to the 62,850-seat Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, defeating Makhmudov by unanimous decision in his first fight in 16 months.
Rather than basking in the glory of his comeback, the British heavyweight immediately shifted his focus to his British-Nigerian counterpart, Anthony Joshua, during the post-fight press conference. Fury boldly declared, “Let’s get the fight on. Here’s the thing – if it ain’t Anthony Joshua next, I’m not interested in boxing. I’ll eat a thousand Easter eggs, balloon up to 35 stone. I’m out. I’m not interested.”
Fury emphasized that he no longer cares about titles, belts, or rankings, emphasizing that only a showdown with Joshua will satisfy him. “I’m not interested in facing up-and-comers looking to make a name for themselves off me. I don’t care about belts. I only care about AJ. That’s the defining fight for British boxing.”
The long-awaited Fury-Joshua showdown has tantalized fight fans for years, almost materializing in 2021 for the undisputed heavyweight championship before negotiations collapsed. Despite subsequent talks about the bout, agreements have consistently fallen through.
In response to Fury’s challenge, Joshua emphasized the need for negotiations and contracts to be properly handled. The British-Nigerian boxer mentioned that he is dealing with personal matters following a serious car accident in Nigeria in December, where two close friends lost their lives.
Promoter Frank Warren confirmed that Fury has signed and agreed to fight Joshua, with Fury’s camp assuring that the fight will “100% happen this year,” although no official date or venue has been announced. Possible locations such as London’s Wembley Stadium and Dublin’s Croke Park have been under consideration.
