AN eagerly anticipated matchup between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua could materialise later this year, with talks of their potential all-British showdown dominating the headlines.
While speaking to African media last week, ‘AJ’ insisted that he will be targeting a shot at his domestic rival in 2025.
The two-time world heavyweight champion comes off a punishing fifth-round stoppage defeat to IBF titlist Daniel Dubois, climbing off the canvas three times before getting halted by a devastating right hand.
Fury, 34-2-1 (24 KOs), meanwhile, suffered two losses at the hands of pound-for-pound king Oleksandr Usyk last year.
On both occasions, ‘The Gypsy King’ demonstrated his tremendous resolve and elite boxing IQ, but ultimately failed to overcome the formidable Ukrainian’s advanced skillset.
Still, the emphatic nature of Joshua’s last outing has led many to give Fury the edge, favouring his more convincing run of performances in recent years.
Sure enough, esteemed trainer Shane McGuigan believes that the 36-year-old has enough left in the tank to emerge victorious.
“It’s going to be [about] ego, and who believes in themself the most,” McGuigan told Boxing News.
“[Fury] lost to Usyk but he didn’t get knocked out, and he can look at the positives of that. Whereas ‘AJ’ got knocked out, so what positives can he take from that last performance?
“They’re both nowhere near fresh – they’re not at their best – but Fury probably has enough about him to fend [Joshua] off.”
In truth, the prospect of Joshua, 28-4 (25 KOs), colliding with Fury appeared more appetizing back in 2021.
At that stage, before his two defeats to Usyk, the Olympic gold medallist was widely considered to be one of the most complete operators in his division, adopting a more defensively polished style while maintaining his pulverizing power.
But now, while the matchup remains nonetheless intriguing, it is difficult to gauge which fighter is further removed from their prime, taking some of the sparkle away from what should have been a clash between two world-beaters.
