Fury vs. Joshua

Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua Fight

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua had been all set to meet in the biggest fight in British boxing history in Saudi Arabia this summer.

The pair were set to clash for the first time on Saturday August 14, with an immediate rematch in November or December. Promoter Eddie Hearn had announced on March 15 that contracts had been signed for a two-fight deal.

But on May 17, just 24 hours after Fury had gleefully confirmed the date and venue, disaster struck. An arbitration ruling from the United States said Fury must resurrect his failed trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder. Or find a suitable resolution or extension.

Fury duly knocked out Wilder in their third meeting, but  Joshua lost his IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles to Ukrainian maestro Oleksandr Usyk by unanimous decision at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. That wrecked – for now – any hope of a Fury vs Joshua showdown for the undisputed heavyweight title.

Fury and Usyk currently hold all the major heavyweight titles – Fury is the WBC, Ring magazine and lineal king while Usyk is now the IBF, WBA and WBO champion.

Fury vs Joshua will have to wait likely at least a year now, but if and when it does happen it will smash all domestic box-office records. It will be front-page news in Great Britain for months beforehand.

The other thing that had been outstanding for Fury vs Joshua was official confirmation of that date and venue, and then TV broadcast details. It would be expected that Sky Sports and BT Sport would share the rights in the UK, while ESPN would favourite to show the fight in the United States. Elsewhere in the world DAZN, now live in more than 200 territories, would be expected to be a serious player in hoovering up the rights.

Tyson Fury, now at the age of 33, is the outspoken larger-than-life ‘Gypsy King’ from northern England who stunned Wladimir Klitschko to become world champion in 2015 before depression and massive weight gain almost wrecked his career. His road to redemption has been an incredible story – crowned by a devastating destruction of the hitherto unbeaten ‘Bronze Bomber’ Deontay Wilder as Fury won back the world heavyweight title in February 2020.

The Morecambe behemoth (now 30-0-1 as a pro) has come a long way since his premature birth weighing just one pound. His father John Fury named him after former heavyweight king Mike Tyson. Nowadays a Fury fight is special stuff – and not just for fight night itself. The man brings pure theatre to any press conference he takes over.

Joshua (24-2), at the age of 31, meanwhile is the powerful superstar from Watford who ruled at amateur level to claim super-heavyweight gold at the 2012 Olympics in his home city. Then he blasted his way through the professional ranks.

Just like Fury, AJ enjoyed a career-defining night against Wladimir Klitschko. He defeated the valiant Ukrainian great in an epic Wembley showdown in April 2017. Joshua suffered a shock first pro defeat by late stand-in Andy Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden in New York in June 2019, but quickly avenged that seventh-round TKO loss by regaining his belts with a comprehensive points victory in Saudi Arabia in December 2019. More recently he knocked out Kubrat Pulev in nine rounds last December to retain his titles. Then came that devastating loss to Usyk, and it appears they will rematch in early 2022.

Furyjoshua.com will bring you all the latest Fury vs Joshua news, views and colour around the potential dream fight in the coming weeks and months.