Tyson Fury conserved energy in his comeback fight so that he could call out Anthony Joshua after the fight.
Joshua sat stony-faced close to the ring, initially refusing to reply, but the crowd were enthralled.
Joshua hadn’t seen much to terrify him in the Gypsy King’s routine win over Soviet man-mountain Arslanbek Makhmudov.
Fury was insistent, saying: ‘I challenge you, Anthony Joshua, to fight me, the Gypsy King, next. Do you accept my challenge?
‘Come on you big s***house, are we going to fight or not?’
Joshua finally replied: ‘Tyson, I’ve never had any problem getting in the ring with you. I punched you up when we were kids. And I’ll punch you up again.
‘You ain’t going to tell me what to do. I’ve been chasing you for 10 years. I’m the boss. I’m the landlord. You work for me.’
Fury conserved energy in his comeback fight against Soviet man-mountain Arslanbek Makhmudov so that he could call out Anthony Joshua after the fight
Joshua, sitting ringside, finally replied: ‘Tyson, I’ve never had any problem getting in the ring with you. I punched you up when we were kids. And I’ll punch you up again’
In the ring, Fury had staged a comfortable, carefully negotiated, virtually risk-free 12-round decision over Makhmudov.
Was it also clever? A performance more than good enough to tempt AJ into the ring.
Before the fight, an icy gale was gusting around the stadium as the fighters arrived, giving rise to the wry thought that it was fortunate there were no flyweights on the open-air card.
Fury had been in sparkling form all week. Four months of training and taking a lion for walks in the heat of Thailand had trimmed the belly and burnished his charm as well as his tan.
This was one happy camper returning to what he does best. He had gone so far as to encourage the giant Makhmudov to lift his own huge self off his feet at the main media event, to demonstrate the physical strength of his hulking Russian opponent.
It filled more seats, if perhaps not quite all the 68,000 – which was the sell-out target.
Saudi Arabian promoter/paymaster His Excellency Turki Alalshikh had said that he expects Fury to take the fight with Joshua ‘back here in London this year’.
Fury made his entrance to the strains of Blue Moon in honour of his late, great friend, Hatton the Hitman. When he disrobed he revealed the tribute ‘RIP Ricky’ emblazoned on his shorts.
True to his reputation as a fast starter, Makhmudov charged out to land the first two fistfuls of swinging punches. Fury rode them, as he does, and the computer beneath that shaven head began coming up with the answers as he boxed his man and then treated him to some big shots of his own.
Fury made his entrance to the strains of Blue Moon in honour of his late, great friend, Hatton the Hitman and when he derobed he revealed the tribute ‘RIP Ricky’ emblazoned on his shorts
Makhmudov the bear wrestler was fittingly rough and wild but took at least as many hefty hits as he delivered in the fourth round
Out came the jabs, as Fury began to assert his dominance. Not only his orthodox lefts, but some switch-hitting rights as the Russian began to look confused.
Makhmudov the bear wrestler was fittingly rough and wild but took at least as many hefty hits as he delivered in the fourth.
The wiles of Fury were prevailing on the inside as well. It wasn’t pretty but it wasn’t going to be against this brawler. So it continued, Fury’s jabs landing more often than the frustrated Russian’s swings.
A trio of uppercuts hinted at Tyson wanting to finish it. Especially when he had Makhmudov reeling on the ropes midway through the eighth.
Fury was back in the set routine in the ninth and 10th – with a little more wrestling thrown in. Makhmudov was forced on to his knees. Not for the first time.
Sensing restlessness in the crowd, Fury unleashed a flurry of uppercuts in the 11th.
The Russian looked ready to go, but was now in survival mode.
Who would have thought this would go to the last round? After a few more uppercuts to rattle the Russian, and a couple more right hooks for Fury to ride, to a victory as clear as the gaps in Tottenham’s defence.
Eleven rounds to one, surely – and from there to the real business of enticing Joshua to sign up for what will certainly be a sell-out.
