Fury-Joshua fight stalls again as decade-long saga drags on

Tyson Fury says he has signed the contract to fight Anthony Joshua, but negotiations for the all-British heavyweight showdown remain stuck after another awkward ringside encounter at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last weekend.

Fury stopped Arslanbek Makhmudov and immediately called out Joshua, who was seated nearby. The former unified champion declined to enter the ring, staying put as Fury gestured over the ropes. "He didn't want the smoke," Fury told reporters afterward, per the BBC. "If it was me, I'd have jumped in the ring. Ten years in the making and still there's uncertainty if it's going to happen next."

The contract dispute and Saudi's premature announcement

Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Alalshikh had spoken before and after the fight as if the deal was nearly done. Netflix, which broadcast Fury's return, even posted on social media that the bout was set for autumn in the UK. Promoter Frank Warren shot that down. Team Fury now blames Joshua for holding up a signed contract, while Joshua's camp has offered no public timeline.

There is a case for Joshua taking a warm-up fight first. Fury returned from his fifth retirement with what amounted to a tune-up against Makhmudov, while Joshua has faced only Jake Paul in the past eighteen months. Joshua also lost two close friends in a December car crash, a trauma he referenced when pressed on the Fury fight. "I was in a serious incident maybe four months ago," he said. A lower-stakes bout could let him rebuild rhythm before stepping into the suffocating spotlight of a Fury build-up.

Fury warned that delay carries risk. "Taking interim fights, you can get chinned by anyone," he said. He also drew a line in the sand, claiming 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. It's either him or I'm gone."

Croke Park has emerged as a possible venue if the fight finally happens, according to the BBC. Netflix released season two of At Home with the Furys hours after the Makhmudov win, tying the comeback to a platform with three hundred twenty-five million subscribers. Viewing figures are expected soon, and a Fury-Joshua announcement would dwarf anything else on the heavyweight calendar.

Source: bbc.com