Anthony Joshua has confirmed nothing is signed to fight Tyson Fury and put their long-awaited mega-fight on ice as he spoke out about the death of his two friends in their fatal car crash in Nigeria.
Joshua and Fury look primed to finally meet in the ring in the all-British fight the boxing world is waiting on but despite the efforts and teasing of Turki Alalshikh a deal is not done.
Fury, 37, used the end of his comeback fight victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov to call out Joshua to face him ‘next’. But the 36-year-old gave him short shrift.
‘I want to give you the fight you’ve all been waiting for,’ Fury said. ‘I want you, AJ, Anthony Joshua. Let’s give the fight fans what they want, the Battle of Britain. I want to fight you next, do you accept my challenge?’
Joshua, sat ringside, did not flinch nor initially answer. Fury followed up: ‘You’re a big s***house, do you want the fight or not?! There’s no running from me this time – 10 years in the making, let’s f***ing dance.’
Tyson Fury roared a call-out to fight Anthony Joshua from the ring after his comeback fight
Joshua survived a car crash at the end of last year which claimed the lives of his friends
Joshua says he is ‘ducking no-one’ and instead is focused on repairing his life after the December car crash that killed his friends Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. Joshua was in the car in Nigeria and both he and promoter Eddie Hearn have spoken about the psychological impact on him.
‘I’m going to be completely honest. There’s a negotiation to go through,’ Joshua eventually said in a Netflix interview. ‘I’ve sat at this table many times. I’m not here to chase clout. Contracts will be sent over and I’ll more than likely be in the ring with him next.
‘He’s the one that retired. I’ve been in the game for 13 years, I’ve never retired. I make the big fights, that’s what I said to him. He works for me.
Joshua was the only man sat down as Fury unleashed on him from the ring
‘I know what my job is, there’s just real things going on in my life. I run the game, I’m a serious fighter and I’m very strong as well. When I hit Fury I’m gonna hurt him bad.
‘I have to take a minute and do what’s best for me. I’m sorting some things out for my brothers and their families.
‘I’ve been here a million times with him before. If I’m honest with you right now, until we’re in the ring there is no fight with him. I’ve been here three or four times before with Deontay Wilder and Fury.’
Alalshikh had teased that the Fury-Joshua fight would be announced on Saturday night but a deal remains some way from being done.
Joshua sat ringside and filmed Fury’s victory on his phone – ‘homework’ for their eventual meeting.
