Fury vs. Joshua, the “Battle of Britain”, is the declared goal of Saudi Arabia’s “matchmaker” Turki Al-Sheikh.
A possible British heavyweight duel between Fury and Joshua has been causing a stir in the boxing world for years. The “Battle of Britain” could be the biggest boxing match in decades. The two British boxers have been sailing on a collision course for a long time, but for various reasons a fight has never materialized.
Al-Sheikh wants Fury against Joshua
Saudi Arabian businessman Turki Al-Sheikh, currently probably the most influential man in boxing, finally wants to make the fight happen. In an interview with the British radio station “talkSPORT”, Al-Sheikh emphasized: “I want to see Fury against Joshua. The world wants to see Fury against Joshua”. Al-Sheikh, who also serves as entertainment minister to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has considerable financial resources at his disposal to make big fights possible. He has already organized several high-profile boxing events in the past and is keen to put on the next big attraction in the heavyweight division.
Current engagements of the boxers
Both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are currently busy with other fights. Tyson Fury is preparing for a rematch against Oleksandr Usyk, which is scheduled to take place on December 21. Fury lost to Usyk in May, making him the unified world champion of the four major federations WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO. Fury wants to regain his title and take revenge for the defeat.
Anthony Joshua, on the other hand, will step into the ring against IBF title holder Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on September 21. Even though the two British stars are currently busy with other opponents, interest in a direct duel between Fury and Joshua remains high.
Perspectives for the fight
Al-Sheikh has made it clear that he wants to organize the fight between Fury and Joshua regardless of the outcome of the upcoming fights. “If Usyk wins, I still want to see Fury against Joshua if they agree,” said Al-Sheikh. He emphasized that he would not want a third fight between Usyk and Joshua until Fury and Joshua had fought each other.
However, there are uncertainties. Fury, who has already announced his retirement from boxing several times, could retire again after the fight against Usyk. “But you never know what the future holds,” says Al-Sheikh. Should Fury actually retire, the “Battle of Britain” could once again be postponed indefinitely.
Saudi Arabia as a boxing hotspot
Saudi Arabia has established itself as an important venue for major boxing matches in recent years. With the support of Al-Sheikh and the country’s financial resources, numerous top-class fights have been brought to the desert. The last fights between Fury and Joshua also took place there. The prospect of a possible fight between the two British heavyweights in Saudi Arabia will excite fans worldwide and further increase interest in boxing.
It remains to be seen whether the “Battle of Britain” will actually take place. However, the conditions could hardly be better and the boxing world is eagerly awaiting developments in the coming months.
Text: Andreas Ohlberger