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Andreas Hell
multiple authors
tyson fury came out of another retirement To cross Arslanbek Makhmudov with unanimous decision victory In London on Saturday. Fury was so cunning, playful and fickle that Makhmudov remained stuck in the mud for long periods of the fight.
Looking back at his time away from the ring, Fury looked much better than anticipated. But Makhmudov wasn’t in the same class as Oleksandr Usyk, the only man to defeat Fury. After Fury’s victory, the former champion deontay wilderEntertaining, yet dirty Verdict on Dereck Chisora On April 4 and former unified champion anthony joshuapossible return of After a car accident in DecemberIt seems that there may be a clash between the three.
Fury and Wilder fought three times in an epic trilogy that set the heavyweight division on fire. However, that’s all we got from these three fighters in their respective primes. And now, many years later, there is a ray of hope that another one of these imaginary battles will come true.
The question is which one.
After his win against Makhmudov, Fury finally called Joshua to meet him later this year.
“Next, I want to give [the fans] The fight you’ve all been waiting for. I want you, AJ, Anthony Joshua,” Fury said during his post-fight interview, pointing to Joshua sitting at ringside. “Let’s give the fight fans what they want. Battle of Britain. And here’s my challenge: I challenge you, Anthony Joshua, to fight me, the Gypsy King. Do you accept my challenge?”
Joshua decided to stop Fury.
“I’ve sat at this table with him many times,” Joshua said in an interview after the encounter. “In my heart, I will fight Tyson Fury tomorrow, especially after seeing [this fight]. I have no problem in fighting. This is what I do.
“I’m not going to sit here and say, ‘Yeah, I’ll fight him.’ I’m not here to dominate. I have come here to fight. Contracts will be sent. We’ll go through the specifics, and more than likely, you’ll probably see us in the ring next time. But I’m not here to get in the ring and start yelling in anyone’s face. If you look at my track record, I have never done that. “I’m not here to dominate.”
Fury and Joshua have had talks several times over the years, and were close to a deal in 2021, but the fight never happened. Joshua is well acquainted with Fury’s games and for the sake of entertainment he refused to give in to the former champion’s demands.
“Look, he’s the one who retired,” Joshua said. “I’m in the game. I never retired. I’ve stood strong for the last 13 years. It’s on him, right? He disappears, comes back, disappears, comes back. I stand strong.”
Although a fight between the two feels more likely than ever, there is still a distinct possibility that Joshua moves in the other direction with a different heavyweight than was once rumored to fight Wilder.
Wilder doesn’t seem to be on Fury’s level a week ago, and his clock is ticking much faster than Fury’s. If Joshua is considering a high-profile tune-up fight, Wilder makes a lot of sense. However, Wilder remains dangerous enough to increase the level of intrigue in a long-shot fight.
But 36-year-old Joshua holds all the cards here. Both Wilder, 40, and Fury, 37, will have to wait for their turn at what can now be called the “legacy” level of the heavyweight division.
The best option is for the trio of former world champions to finally face each other while the rest of the division moves forward. It is unlikely that any of these three will fight young up-and-comers Moses Itauma, Richard Torrez Jr. or Fabio Wardley. All three would love a piece of the Division King, oleksandr usykBut the unified champion has defeated Fury and Joshua twice each.
At this point, these three have no reason to fight anyone other than each other. They are still the biggest names in the division and stand to make the most money. This is their best chance to win the fight instead of putting themselves at risk against young, powerful but less popular veterans. Any mix of fights except Fury vs. Wilder would be massive in the UK, where Fury and Joshua are, and could fill a football stadium. All three know this, but rest assured that egos will come in handy and can derail plans again.
