Former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has issued an update on a potential all-British showdown against Tyson Fury.
2012 Olympic gold medallist Joshua, 36, has not fought since suffering a devastating knockout defeat at the hands of Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium back in September 2024.
Since then, the Watford-born fighter, who boasts a record of 28-4, having lost against Oleksandr Usyk twice, Dubois and Andy Ruiz Jr., has undergone surgery on his elbow but is now back in training and looking to the future.
As for Fury, like Joshua, he has also been defeated by Usyk twice and is currently retired from professional boxing, although earlier this year Saudi boxing chief Turki Alashikh claimed the self-proclaimed ‘Gypsy King’ was ready to make a return.
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Meanwhile, Queensberry Promotion’s founder Frank Warren also added fuel to the rumours of a Fury comeback when he spoke to DAZN earlier this month.
The 73-year-old claimed that he’d spoken to Fury recently and that the 37-year-old “said that he’s going to come back and fight next year”.
Warren explained: "He's [Tyson Fury] told me categorically he wants to fight next year. So, we'll sit down and see."
The proposed all-British heavyweight clash would likely sell out Wembley Stadium in minutes despite both fighters being well past their primes.
It was previously reported in 2021 that the pair had agreed on a two-fight deal, although this never materialised.
As reported by talkSPORT, the first of the two bouts was supposed to happen in August of 2021 for the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO titles in Saudi Arabia, but a court of arbitration ruling resulted in Fury facing American Deontay Wilder for a third time before Joshua then fought Usyk.
So, what is Joshua’s most recent stance on the potential of a bout with Fury?
Speaking to German outlet SPORT1 earlier this week, ‘AJ’ was pressed on whether the mega-fight could finally happen in 2026.
“Yes, I think it will happen,” Joshua said. “Why not? What else will he do? He has to fight me.”
The Brit was then asked what the biggest potential fight would be, before the journalist suggested a third bout with Usyk.
He replied: “He's already beaten me twice. If we look back at history, we see that some boxers have faced each other five or six times.
“But as of now, Usyk can decide what he wants to do next. I think I have to fight Tyson Fury. Usyk, on the other hand, doesn't have to fight me.”
Topics: Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Boxing, Heavyweight Boxing, Oleksandr Usyk
Luke Davies