Fury and Joshua still deadlocked as contract standoff continues

Tyson Fury says he has signed a contract to fight Anthony Joshua and his British heavyweight rival has not, leaving the decade-long saga stalled once again despite a ringside callout at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 11.

Fury stopped Arslanbek Makhmudov that night and leaned over the ropes to beckon Joshua closer, but AJ stayed in his seat. Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Alalshikh had spoken before and after the bout as if an announcement was imminent, the BBC reported. Netflix even posted on social media that the fight was set for autumn in the UK before Frank Warren walked it back. Backstage, Fury turned blunt. "He didn't want the smoke," he told reporters, per the BBC. "Ten years in the making and still there's uncertainty if it's going to happen next."

Why Joshua might need a tune-up first

There is a case for Joshua taking an interim fight. Fury shook off ring rust against Makhmudov while Joshua has faced only YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in the past 18 months, meaning AJ could enter a Fury clash having been away from elite-level opposition for an extended stretch. Joshua also survived a December car accident that killed two close friends, an ordeal that changed the emotional context around his return. "I was in a serious incident maybe four months ago," Joshua said as pressure mounted to sign. Fury acknowledged the weight of outside struggles but dismissed the idea of waiting. "We've all had problems — that's life," he said, according to the BBC. "Taking interim fights, you can get chinned by anyone."

Both men remain past their peak but the fascination refuses to fade, partly because the heavyweight division offers few genuine alternatives. Moses Itauma is one of the most exciting young heavyweights in years and Conor Benn commands headlines at welterweight, yet neither commands the spotlight of Fury or Joshua. Put them almost anywhere and it would still outdraw most fights on the planet. Fury insists he has a three-fight deal for this year but wants only one opponent. "If it isn't AJ next, I'm not interested in boxing again," he said. "It's either him or I'm gone."

Croke Park in Dublin has emerged as a leading venue contender, with the stadium holding more than 80,000. Netflix carried Fury's comeback fight and hours after the win season two of At Home with the Furys landed on the platform, tying boxing to a scale of mainstream exposure not seen since the terrestrial boom of the 1990s. The streaming giant has 325 million global subscribers and viewing figures for the Makhmudov bout could prove it was one of the most-watched boxing matches in years in the UK. There would be even greater clamour for Fury-Joshua if the contract dispute ever gets resolved.

Source: bbc.com