In theory, there is nothing to stop a heavyweight super-fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua from taking place next year. In theory. But fight fans know how things work, or do not work, in the sport of boxing. We’ve learned over the years how things are never as simple as they should be.
Right now, with the WBC stating there is “nothing standing in the way” of Fury going into “any fight whatsoever” assuming he defeats Deontay Wilder in their third fight (supposedly set for Las Vegas in Dec. 19), a number of people are banging the drum for that all-British, all the belts collision between Fury and AJ. Frank Warren for one, has banged the drum so hard he had almost smashed it into pieces. Warren is sick and tired of “obstacles” being put in the way, not removed, ahead of this fight – one “everyone wants to see.”
With the “obstacle” of Dillian Whyte’s mandatory shot at the Fury-Wilder III winner now gone, Fury is free to fight who he wants after he’s fulfilled his contract and boxed Wilder a third time (and again, this is assuming Fury beats Wilder again).
So assuming Fury does win, and assuming Joshua gets past Kubrat Pulev in his mandatory (also set for December yet not officially announced yet), Fury and Joshua will get it on in the spring of 2021. Or will they? While there is in theory nothing to stop the fight from taking place (aside from an upset win scored by either Wilder or Pulev, or an upset win scored by both), both sides have to really want the fight for it to get done.
And this is where Warren is sceptical. Speaking with IFL TV, Warren said that although he would like to think Joshua wants the Fury fight, he strongly suspects that his team does not. “They don’t want this fight because they don’t want to risk their cash cow losing,” Warren said. “And I’ve been saying that for a long time,” he added.
Warren is happy with a 50/50 split of the purse and he says the fight should absolutely happen in the spring. In fact, Warren said that if it were up to him he would have Fury and Joshua go straight into a fight with each other next; forget the Wilder and Pulev fights. That won’t happen, but again, there is no reason Fury and Joshua don’t give the fans what they want and get it on in April or May next year. But is Warren correct, is Eddie Hearn reluctant to make the fight?
Fury Vs. Joshua is a fight that has to be made and now, with no obstacles standing in the way, it’s a fight that can be made. But we fans will believe it when we see it. Sadly, it’s never that simple in the world of boxing.
