Fury-Joshua Doubleheader Leaves Five Questions Unanswered

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua both secured victories in their Riyadh Season tune-ups this week, but the path to their long-awaited showdown looks murkier than ever.

Fury stopped Arslanbek Makhmudov in Pattaya while Joshua knocked out Kristian Prenga in Jeddah within a 24-hour span. Yet instead of clearing the deck for the biggest fight in British boxing history, the doubleheader raised fresh concerns about both men's readiness and desire for the matchup.

Fury's Commitment and Joshua's Condition in Question

Fury's head remains impossible to read. Despite calling out Joshua from the ring after beating Makhmudov, he told reporters not to hold their breath on the fight happening once Mariusz Wach is dealt with, per The Ring. More troubling: Fury skipped the trip from Thailand to Saudi Arabia and missed the chance to face off with Joshua ringside. One former coach told The Ring that Fury would upload retirement videos to Instagram hours after mapping out fight plans in the gym.

Joshua's second-round stoppage of Prenga masked a worrying first round in which he was badly hurt and nearly finished. Promoter Eddie Hearn admitted he thought the fight — and perhaps the AJ story altogether — was over. Carl Froch has since urged Joshua to retire immediately while coach Dave Coldwell described him as shot to bits, raising questions about what remains of the two-time heavyweight champion after his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois and the car crash that killed two close friends.

The venue also remains unsettled. Turki Alalshikh has lobbied the British government for a later Wembley license to accommodate worldwide broadcast times, though Madison Square Garden has reportedly been floated as an alternative. Neither fighter is screaming for the bout despite contracts reportedly being signed, fueling speculation the fight could slide into 2027 — a dangerous delay given waning public interest.

Source: ringmagazine.com