Everyone knew this callout was coming — that Tyson Fury, after defeating Arslanbek Makhmudov, would call for a clash with fellow former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
Everyone knew this well before Fury actually stepped into the ring with Makhmudov. They knew it before boxing financier Turki Alalshikh, earlier on during Netflix’s broadcast of Fury-Makhmudov, teased that he would be announcing the biggest fight in the history of British boxing.
Everyone knew it back when Fury first announced his comeback at the start of January, returning after retiring in 2025 following his two defeats the previous year to Oleksandr Usyk.
The plan at the time was for both men to take setup bouts. For Joshua, that was originally going to be against kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven. But Joshua was in a car crash in December, weeks after his knockout of Jake Paul, a tragic incident that killed two of Joshua’s close friends. Any conversations about what was next for “AJ” understandably needed to be tabled.
Usyk signed to face Verhoeven instead. Fury still proceeded with his return, headlining in a lucrative main event and nearly shutting out Makhmudov on the scorecards at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Joshua sat ringside, watching intently.
After being announced as the victor, Fury looked down over the ropes, and he and Joshua shook hands. Fury invited Joshua into the ring and AJ declined, saying “It’s your night”.
Soon, an in-ring interviewer asked Alalshikh about his announcement.
“It is the time,” Alalshikh said, calling for promoters Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions and Eddie Hearn of Matchroom.
“Tyson, he’s the next,” Alalshikh said, pointing to Joshua.
Fury soon had the microphone. He thanked people and then quickly transitioned to that inevitable callout.
“Sixteen-month layoff and we fill up Tottenham again,” Fury said. “But like I said, let me get Arslanbek Makhmudov out of the way and we’ll talk next. Next I want to give you the fight you’ve all been waiting for. I want you, AJ, Anthony Joshua. Let’s give the fight fans what they want. The Battle of Britain. And here’s my challenge. I challenge you, Anthony Joshua, to fight me, The Gypsy King, next. Do you accept my challenge?”
Joshua just looked ahead.
Alalshikh was asked again about whether the fight would happen.
“It is not my call,” he said. “It is his call.”
Joshua still looked ahead. And then he was handed a microphone.
“Tyson, you’re a clout-chaser,” Joshua said from his ringside seat. “Tyson, I’ve never had no problem getting in the ring with you. I punched you up when we were kids, and after watching you here tonight, I’ll punch you up again.
“With all due respect, tonight is your night, and you know I’ll [be] across the ring from you in due time. You ain’t going to tell me what to do. I’ve been chasing you for the last 10 years. When you’re ready, you come and see me and you tell me your terms and conditions, and I’ll have you in the ring when I’m ready. I’m the boss. You work for me. I’m the landlord. Remember that. You work for me.”
The microphone was sent back in the ring to Fury.
“Listen, let’s give the fight fans what they want,” Fury said. “Ten years in the making, let’s fucking dance.”
A few minutes later, Joshua was standing in the ring with an interviewer, explaining why he wasn’t immediately saying yes to the match.
“I’m going to be completely honest: there’s a negotiation that you go through,” he said. “I’ve sat at this table with him many times. In my heart, I’ll fight Tyson Fury tomorrow, especially after watching that. There’s no problem with me fighting. This is what I do. I’m not going to sit here and say, ‘Yeah, I’ll fight him’. I’m not here to get clout amid the fight.
“Contracts will be sent over. We'll go through the nitty-gritty, and you’ll probably see us in the ring next, more than likely. But I’m not here to start getting in the ring and shouting in someone’s face. If you look at my track record, I’ve never done that. I’m not here for clout. I watched the fight. I saw what I saw, and I know what I got to do when I get him in the ring.”
The Netflix interviewer mentioned that this potential fight between the two huge heavyweights has been sought for years.
“Exactly,” Joshua said. “Look, he’s the one that retired. I’ve been in the game. I’ve never retired. I've been standing strong for the last 13 years. It’s on him. He disappears, comes back, disappears, comes back. I’m standing strong. That’s why I’m not here to chase fame or chase hype. I’m a real person. I’ll fight whoever’s in front of me, whether it’s him or the next person. It doesn’t matter to me. I’m always in big fights. It’s just my style. I make the big fights. That’s why I said he works for me.”
Joshua was asked whether he would seek a tune-up bout before taking on Fury.
“Good question. [...] We’ll see,” Joshua said. “I was just in a serious incident, maybe four months [ago], so I need to really check out what’s going on with my return to the ring. But I’m here. I’m keeping my eye in the game. There’s real stuff happening in my life.
“I’m not knocking no one. I know what my job is. I know what I’m here to do. There’s just real stuff happening in my life that I was going to attend to. And once I’m 100 per cent, I’ll be ready. This is what I do. I run the game. Everybody knows I run the game. I’m a serious fighter, and I’m very strong as well. I think that when I hit Fury, I’ll hurt him bad.”
But the aftermath of the tragedy still is his main focus.
“I’m sorting some things out,” Joshua said. “My brothers [Joshua’s friends], with their parents and the brotherhood, are taking care of things at the minute. I got to put that first. That's my priority at the moment. Tyson Fury, if he’s serious, you’ll see me in the ring. The ball will be in his court.
“I’ve been there a million times. Once my name and signature is on the dotted line, then it’s a fight. At the minute there’s nothing on the dotted line. Neither is his. If I'm going to be honest with you, there’s no fight right now until our names are signed. Until that first bell rings, there’s no fight.
“I’ve been here three, four times [in negotiations] with [Deontay] Wilder and Fury. This is boring to me. For the guys at home, it’s exciting. I’ve been here loads of times. But it’s no problem. I like his fighting style. I think he’s good but I don’t think he’ll be able to cover me. It’ll be hard work for him.”
David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.
