Fury and Joshua still on different pages after Tottenham callout

Tyson Fury says his team has signed the contract for a showdown with Anthony Joshua and the former two-time champion has not, leaving the most anticipated British heavyweight clash of the decade stuck in familiar limbo. Fury called out Joshua ringside moments after stopping Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, leaning over the ropes and beckoning his rival into the ring. Joshua stayed put.

The standoff mirrored a power struggle that has defined their history since the fight was first mooted. Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Alalshikh had been speaking beforehand as though an announcement was imminent, and Netflix even posted that the bout was set for autumn in the UK before promoter Frank Warren walked that back. "He didn't want the smoke," Fury said afterward, per BBC Sport. "Ten years in the making and still there's uncertainty if it's going to happen next."

Why Joshua might want one more tune-up

Joshua has fought only once in the past 18 months, a win over Jake Paul, while Fury returned from his fifth retirement with what amounted to a warm-up against Makhmudov. Joshua also survived a December car crash that killed two close friends, an event he referenced when asked about signing quickly. "I was in a serious incident maybe four months ago," he said. An interim fight could let him rebuild rhythm without the scrutiny a Fury build-up demands, though Fury countered that logic bluntly. "Taking interim fights, you can get chinned by anyone," he said.

Fury insists he has a three-fight deal for 2026 but only wants Joshua. "If it isn't AJ next, I'm not interested in boxing again. It's either him or I'm gone," he told reporters. Croke Park in Dublin has emerged as a leading venue option, with its 80,000-plus capacity offering a neutral ground between the two camps. The fight would likely draw more eyeballs than any other boxing match available this year, particularly after Fury's Netflix showcase pulled the sport back into the mainstream. Hours after his Tottenham win, season two of At Home with the Furys dropped on the platform.

The risk is that Fury-Joshua follows the Mayweather-Pacquiao script, arriving years late and falling flat. Both men are past their peak, yet the fascination refuses to fade because no credible heavyweight alternative carries their combined pull. The weigh-in is the only date left to set.

Source: bbc.com