Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua still can't agree on fight terms

Tyson Fury stopped Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and leaned over the ropes to beckon Anthony Joshua into the ring. Joshua did not budge. The same old impasse, now with cameras watching.

Fury's team says they signed the contract. Joshua has not, according to the BBC. Saudi Arabia's Turki Alalshikh spoke before and after the fight as if an announcement was imminent. Netflix, which carried Saturday's card, posted that the bout was set for autumn in the UK. Frank Warren, Fury's promoter, shut that down within hours.

Backstage, Fury sounded frustrated. "He didn't want the smoke," he told reporters. "Ten years in the making and still there's uncertainty if it's going to happen next." He later added: "If it isn't AJ next, I'm not interested in boxing again. It's either him or I'm gone."

The case for Joshua taking an interim fight

Joshua has fought once in eighteen months — a win over Jake Paul. Fury just navigated twelve rounds against a live puncher, while Joshua was involved in a December car crash that killed two close friends. "I was in a serious incident maybe four months ago," Joshua said when asked about the delay. A tune-up could give him ring time without the full Fury spotlight, though Fury dismissed the idea. "Taking interim fights, you can get chinned by anyone," he said.

The sport has lived this before. Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao set records when they finally met but the fight came years too late. Fury is thirty-eight, Joshua thirty-five. Both are past peak. The fascination persists because the alternatives — Moses Itauma, Conor Benn — do not yet command the same draw.

Croke Park has emerged as a leading venue option, with its eighty-thousand-plus capacity. Netflix's 325 million subscribers watched Fury's return and viewing figures are due soon. The fight still sells anywhere it lands, but the window is closing fast.

Source: bbc.com