The “Battle of Britain” is once again making headlines. While one report speaks of an agreement between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, AJ promoter Eddie Hearn clearly disagrees – and puts the brakes on the euphoria.
The dream fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua remains one of the hottest topics in the heavyweight division – but there is still no clarity. The latest discussions have been triggered by a report from the UK, according to which both camps are said to have already agreed in principle on a fight in the background. According to the report, the mega-fight is “through” internally, including plans for a major international broadcast.
However, the backlash followed only a short time later. Promoter Eddie Hearn made it unmistakably clear that there is currently no contractual basis for a duel. In his view, such reports are simply not true. Talks had also hardly taken place recently.
The reason lies primarily with Joshua himself. After a serious stroke of fate and a lengthy break, the former world champion is only just working on his return. There is no concrete fight plan yet – and even a comeback in the ring is not guaranteed at the moment, according to Hearn.
Although there had been ideas for a clear roadmap before the interruption, these were thwarted by the events at the turn of the year. Instead of a direct blockbuster, the focus is now on reconstruction.
The situation is different for Tyson Fury. The “Gypsy King” is already preparing for his comeback and will return in April in London against Arslanbek Makhmudov. With a win, he could quickly position himself for big fights again – be it against Joshua, the winner of Wardley vs. Dubois or even for another duel with Oleksandr Usyk.
Text by Robin Josten