Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua still at impasse after call-out

Tyson Fury says he has signed a contract to face Anthony Joshua and will not fight anyone else, but Joshua has yet to commit to the all-British heavyweight clash that has been a decade in the making.

Fury called out Joshua ringside after stopping Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 11, leaning over the ropes and beckoning his rival toward him. Joshua stayed put. Backstage, Fury took aim at his longtime rival. "He didn't want the smoke," Fury told reporters, per the BBC. "Ten years in the making and still there's uncertainty if it's going to happen next."

What's holding up the fight?

Saudi Arabia's Turki Alalshikh, who has bankrolled the sport's biggest recent cards, spoke before and after Fury's win as though the announcement was imminent. Netflix, which broadcast the Makhmudov bout, even posted on social media that Fury-Joshua was set for autumn in the UK before promoter Frank Warren shut that down. The blame game continues, with Team Fury insisting they have signed while Joshua has not.

There is a case for Joshua taking an interim fight first. Fury returned from his fifth retirement with what amounted to a warm-up against Makhmudov, while Joshua has only fought YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in the past 18 months. Joshua also survived a car crash in December that killed two close friends, an incident he referenced when pressure mounted on him to agree to Fury's terms. A lower-stakes contest could allow Joshua to rediscover rhythm without the suffocating build-up that comes with facing Fury.

Fury is not buying it. "Taking interim fights, you can get chinned by anyone," he said, according to the BBC. He added that he has a three-fight deal for 2026 but insisted there is only one opponent he wants. "If it isn't AJ next, I'm not interested in boxing again. It's either him or I'm gone."

The sport has already lived through the cautionary tale of Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao, which shattered records when it finally happened but fell flat. The perfect moment for Fury-Joshua belonged to 2019 or 2021. Now the question is whether the sport will allow this entire generation to close without ever seeing them share a ring. Croke Park, with its 80,000-plus capacity, has reportedly emerged as a leading venue if terms can be agreed.

Source: bbc.com