Heavyweight countrymen collide
The “Gypsy King” Tyson Fury is an early favorite in a rumored clash against fellow British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua.
I’d like to give you an opportunity to fight me”
“Anthony Joshua, I know you just lost a fight to [Oleksandr] Usyk and you’re beltless at the moment, and I’d like to give you an opportunity to fight me for the WBC heavyweight championship of the world and the lineal championship,” said Fury in a video posted to Twitter Monday:
The online trash talk could signify that the two are destined to meet for the first time in their careers. However, if the sportsbooks provide any indication, the mountain of achievements between the fighters will not stop one man, Fury, from winning comfortably.
Fury is the clear favorite
According to William Hill, Fury is a -350 favorite, while Joshua is a +250 underdog. Fury’s favorable odds come despite the fact that the Morecambe man was ready to retire in April.
The “Gypsy King” announced his retirement after winning his most recent fight against Dillian Whyte in the sixth round via technical knockout. Even while in retirement mode, however, Fury set the stage for his return – just not against Joshua.
Instead, the 6-foot-9 prizefighter set his sights on another British boxer, 38-year-old Derek Chisora, whom Fury beat twice earlier in his career. The longstanding feud and the potential for a third fight between the two provided a perfect opportunity to ditch retirement.
breaking all records again and setting precedents.”
“I’ve decided to come back to boxing because I can be the first heavyweight world champion in history to have two trilogies, one with Deontay Wilder and one with Derek Chisora,” said Fury on August 9. “I’d always say I’d fight Derek Chisora at the end of my career and here we are, breaking all records again and setting precedents.”
Now, Fury has a new target in his sights. This one goes by the name Anthony Joshua, and he is a handful.
Road to the ring
Fury and Joshua were supposed to meet in Saudi Arabia in 2021, but Fury had to settle a score with Deontay Wilder after the American won an arbitration that granted him a trilogy match with Fury. Fury has maintained an undefeated record since then of 32-0-1 with 23 knockouts.
Meanwhile, “AJ” has an impressive professional record of 24-3 with 22 knockouts, yet all three losses have come in his last five fights. The first was a shock loss to Mexican Andy Ruiz Jr., whom Joshua earned revenge on six months later in December 2019. He then went on to defeat Kubrat Pulev with a ninth-round knockout before falling to Usyk consecutively.
which man deserves the right to another title match
The Joshua-Fury fight will settle two debates: first, who the best British active heavyweight boxer is, and second, which man deserves the right to another title match.
Fury’s call-out video promised a fight by the end of the year, as did Joshua’s cold-blooded response: