It’s taken the best part of a decade to get here, but we could finally be on the brink of the dream Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury fight – with all of the heavyweight belts on the line, no less.
British boxing supremo Eddie Hearn has confirmed that the pair will, at long last, lock horns if they both win their upcoming bouts. A date, likely to be in the autumn, is yet to be confirmed, but it would be the fight that the heavyweight division – and British boxing in general – needs more than ever.
Best of British
The Joshua vs Ngannou odds suggest that the Englishman should hold up his end of the bargain, at least, with AJ the red-hot 1/6 favourite and the former MMA champion a 7/2 underdog. The boxing tips columns focus on Joshua’s greater boxing skill and in-ring experience while reflecting on the possibility that Fury took victory over Ngannou for granted – the Gypsy King entered the October exhibition bout at the heaviest weight of his recent career, just about getting over the line in a controversial split decision win.
Fury was dumped on the canvas by Ngannou’s ferocious punch power, as he was in his trilogy with Deontay Wilder, with the Gypsy King able to dust himself down and avoid a KO defeat. Will Joshua be able to avert the same fate against a man who is the sheer dictionary definition of a dangerous underdog?
Eddie Hearn will certainly be hoping so. He stands to profit to some tune if Joshua sees off Ngannou and Fury defeats Oleksandr Usyk – although there’s bad news for British fans: it looks likely, once again, that the dream fight will take place on Saudi Arabian soil.
Speaking to the MMA Hour podcast, Hearn confirmed that the winner of the two upcoming bouts will meet in a clash for the undisputed heavyweight gold, revealing that ‘His Excellency’ – referring to Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi entertainment chief, has already sanctioned the fight. So while the action may unfold in front of a half-empty arena with next to no atmosphere, at least we may be on course to see Joshua vs Fury at long last.
Date with (Delayed) Destiny
Fury, of course, was meant to trade blows with Usyk back in February but suffered a horrific cut to the eye during sparring – forcing the postponement of their undisputed clash until May 18th. Neither man is yet to lose so far in their professional career, with Usyk looking to become a two-weight undisputed champion, which is a remarkable achievement.
WE HAVE A NEW DATE MAY 18th,
— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) February 3, 2024
cant wait to smash the rabbit.
massive respect to my brother @Turki_alalshikh the biggest fight of the century. Its always about the GK TYSON FURY ROLLES ON 😜🙏 pic.twitter.com/BQtKkKHWuN
He’ll need to do things the hard way against Fury, who stands around six inches taller than the Ukrainian with the weight and reach advantages to go with it. But defeating bigger men has become a regular feat for Usyk, who has already delivered a pair of convincing victories over Joshua.
Fury will need to be fit and firing when they meet in Riyadh in May – otherwise, the dream all-British clash could be replaced by a third Usyk vs Joshua contest that nobody really wants to see.
