There is renewed hope that Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua could yet happen after ‘The Gypsy King’ threw AJ a world heavyweight title lifeline on Monday.
Fury took to social media to offer AJ the chance to fight him next with the WBC and lineal heavyweight titles on the line. Oleksandr Usyk had been expected to be Fury’s next opponent, but he reportedly wants to wait until 2023 for any unification fight.
Joshua (24-3) is still licking his wounds after losing a rematch to Usyk in Saudi Arabia in August, failing in the process to regain his IBF, WBA and WBO world heavyweight titles. That was his third defeat in his last five fights.
Fury says he’ll fight Joshua next
It appeared AJ’s chances of facing Fury for the world title had gone (for now at least) with that defeat, but now there appears to be renewed hope.
Fury said on social media: “I think you’ve all heard that I’m gonna be fighting again soon within the next few months, and I think that before I announce an opponent, that I need to do this just in case.
“Anthony Joshua, I know you’ve just lost a fight to Usyk and you’re beltless at the moment. I’d like to give you an opportunity to fight me for the WBC heavyweight championship of the world, and the lineal championship, in the next few months. You’re coming off a 12-round fight, so you’re match-fit, you’re ready. I’m giving you a few months notice.
Call out to @anthonyjoshua @WBCBoxing @frankwarren_tv @trboxing #uk ????✅pic.twitter.com/P4Yw4mtW1R
— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) September 5, 2022
“If you’re interested I’ll send you the date over and we can rumble. A battle of Britain for the WBC heavyweight championship of the world.
“Let me know if you’re interested – if not I’ll select another opponent.”
Another chance for all-British superfight?
Fury and Joshua of course were on the brink of meeting last year, with a date agreed for August 2021 and Saudi Arabia reportedly ready to put up a $155million site fee. The plan was scuppered though when Deontay Wilder won an arbitration ruling to force Fury into a third fight.
It now remains to be seen whether AJ and his team will take this Fury offer seriously and entertain it – his promoter Eddie Hearn said recently that he expected his man to face a top-15 fighter before the end of the year as he starts to rebuild.
