Is Fury v Joshua Back On The Table?

One of the most anticipated boxing matches in the sport’s history could be back on the cards. Boxing fans have been waiting for years for a bout between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, but with the recent announcement that the proposed fight between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will no longer take place, there’s a window of opportunity for the battle of Britain to finally happen. In truth, this fight won’t have the same level of hype as it would have done a few years ago, given Joshua’s decline in form. Fury will be the overwhelming favourite for victory, but there’ll be a few people using a betting offer from oddschecker to back Joshua picking up an unlikely win. After all, boxing loves a dramatic comeback story. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves; there’s still a lot that needs to happen before tickets go on sale.

Obstacle One: Joshua Must Beat Franklin

It’s easy to get excited about a Fury v Joshua fight, but it can’t happen yet. Joshua already has a fight against American boxer Jermaine Franklin. It’s hard to see how a fight against Fury could happen if Joshua does not win that fight, in large part because Joshua has said that he’ll retire if he loses. Of course, you can never take a boxer at this word, but, even if he didn’t retire, there’d be no chance that he would be offered the chance to fight against one of the best heavyweight boxers of all time. You have to earn that right.

Reason It Could Happen: There’s a Will On Both Sides

But let’s assume that Joshua does defeat Franklin, as he is roundly expected to. The reason why a fight with Fury could finally happen is that there’s a desire on both sides. For Joshua, the motivation is easy to identify; having spent several years receiving no end of criticism, a fight against Fury offers a chance to restore some of the respect that he has lost. Even if he didn’t win, a good showing would prove that he deserved to be at the top table of boxing.

For Fury, the motivation is a little less clear. He doesn’t need to fight Joshua to prove a point; he’s already made that point time and time again. But he’s a born fighter who has an eye on his legacy, and with fans clamouring for a battle of Britain, he may as well step into the limelight and put on a show. There would also be a significant financial motivation for doing so since it would likely be the biggest purse that he ever earned.

We’ve Been Here Before

Of course, there’s reason to be cautious when you’re talking about a fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. We’ve been here before, many many times. They’ve been talking about this fight for years and, for various reasons, it has never happened. They were most recently due to fight last December, but once again, those talks collapsed. While both fighters may say publicly that they want the fight to happen, ultimately it comes down to the contract. And if that can’t be agreed, as is often the case, then the fight will be off.

Has The Moment Gone?

There’s also the possibility that boxing fans have moved on from a Fury and Joshua fight. Several years ago, they were both the main heavyweights of British boxing. But since then, their paths have diverged. Fury has reached new levels of fame and admiration due to his all-time classic fights against Wilder, while Joshua has suffered defeats and failed to beat anyone of note. As it stands, this isn’t an equal fight. It’d still be a big payday for both, but as a sporting spectacle, there’s a chance that the moment has gone.

Ultimately, we’ll just have to wait and see with this one. Only believe it’s really happening when contracts are signed and tickets go on sale.