Taylor On Fury-Joshua: Five Things We Still Don't Know

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua were supposed to clear the path to boxing's biggest British showdown. Instead, their comeback victories over the past week left the fight in deeper uncertainty than before.

Ring Magazine columnist Declan Taylor wrote that Fury's second-round finish of Arslanbek Makhmudov in Pattaya and Joshua's stoppage of Kristian Prenga in Jeddah answered almost nothing about whether the two heavyweights will actually meet in 2026. Taylor framed his analysis around five unresolved questions the doubleheader failed to settle.

Fury's Commitment and Joshua's Vulnerability Still in Doubt

Fury told reporters after beating Makhmudov that fans should not hold their breath for the Joshua fight, per the Ring report. He skipped Joshua's bout in Jeddah entirely, missing the chance for a face-off that would have launched the promotion. One former Fury coach told Taylor the fighter would have no idea what the Gypsy King planned next, even mid-training camp. Joshua, meanwhile, was badly hurt in the first round against Prenga before rallying to stop him in the second. Promoter Eddie Hearn admitted he thought the fight was over in that opening frame. Taylor noted that Carl Froch urged Joshua to retire immediately after the performance, while trainer Dave Coldwell described him as shot to bits.

The columnist questioned whether either man genuinely wants the fight next or if the timing has simply passed. Comparisons to the 2022 Kell Brook-Amir Khan bout surfaced, though Taylor disagreed that Fury-Joshua has reached that point yet. The most pressing unknown remains the venue. Reports indicate the contracts list different locations, with Tony Bellew and Hearn publicly arguing for a UK date while promoter Turki Alalshikh has lobbied the British government to extend Wembley's license for a global start time. Madison Square Garden has also been floated as a possible site.

Both fighters are deep into their thirties. Taylor wrote that once the fight is announced and the pair clash at the first press conference, momentum will return. For now, the semi-finals have done more to dampen public interest than stoke it.

Source: ringmagazine.com