Though Tyson Fury, at age 32, is just two years older than rival heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua, AJ tells Sky Sports he feels Fury “should be looking to retire soon.” Joshua states how if Fury “wants to cement his legacy, I’m here and ready.” Joshua also said that after he beats Kubrat Pulev (December 12 in a long-awaited mandatory defence of the IBF title), he will “challenge Fury, challenge Wilder.”
Joshua says he looks at both rivals as “just another heavyweight.”
“These guys aren’t the biggest names that I’ve fought on my record anyway,” AJ said.
“Fury has been professional much longer than me. He should be looking to retire soon,” Joshua, the reigning WBA/IBF/WBO heavyweight champ, said. “If he wants to cement his legacy, I’m here and ready. I’ve built myself into this position. I’ll challenge Fury, I’ll challenge Wilder. Look at my record. They are not the best fighters that I have challenged. When they are ready, I’m here to fight.”
Joshua says he has a total lack of fear of Fury and he said that if Fury is “serious” he’ll take the fight seriously too. But first comes that Pulev fight, and of course Fury must get past Wilder in their third fight (if it actually happens; still no word from Wilder who has all but vanished from sight lately).
Joshua against Fury is the biggest fight in all of boxing today, while AJ against Wilder – which should have happened before now – would still be a big attraction. There could be further complications in the form of a WBO mandatory defence Joshua has to make against Oleksandr Usyk, but there has been some suggestion that AJ could perhaps vacate the belt so as to be able to go into the mega-fight with Fury.
Right now, we fight fans can do nothing but wait and see how things fall into place. We know the fight we want, it’s just up to Joshua and Fury to get together and give it to us. As for Fury retiring soon, who knows. Maybe Fury, if he were to beat Wilder again, then topple Joshua, would feel he has done more than enough and decide to walk away. Of course, Joshua feels he will beat Fury.
Hopefully, we’ll see next year.
