Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn admitted he loved seeing his fighter Anthony Joshua take to social media to call out Tyson Fury, claiming it was not ‘goading’ but instead ‘just stating facts’.
Shortly after Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley completed Tuesday’s launch press conference for their high-stakes encounter in October, to be shown live on DAZN, Joshua posted an Instagram story in praise of the duo – whilst also throwing a few jabs at Fury as he branded his heavyweight rival “dippy”.
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Joshua-Fury is a bout that many in the boxing world have wanted to transpire for the best part of a decade, with the two Brits failing to meet inside the ring during their reigns as world champions. They are both expected to return to the ring in 2026, and Hearn enjoyed Joshua making his intentions clear on who he wants to share the ring with.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Hearn said: “I love it, I like to see it. AJ’s always a guy who has held his tongue. I think now as he comes to the back end of his career, he’s almost like, ‘why not?’
“He wants this fight. We want the fight, we’re ready to go, we’re ready to talk about it. This isn’t goading Tyson Fury, it’s just stating facts.”
After Joshua underwent surgery on an elbow issue in the summer, it had been hoped that the former world champion would fight before the end of 2025.
However, after Hearn floated the idea of a fight in November or December, a setback has forced Joshua to instead look at a date in the first few months of 2026.
“The good news is that AJ is recovered, injury-free and ready to start training camp,” continued Hearn. “And he has got the bit between his teeth to get back in big fights in the heavyweight division. He’s fired up and we still believe he’s got a lot to give.”
Hearn went on to confirm that Joshua was keen for a bout with Fury, and that clips posted on social media of the ‘Gypsy King’ training gave hope for a fight to be made in the future.
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“You can see across Fury’s social media, he’s training, which gives you hope. I think people around him feel like he’ll return, but you never know.”
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