While unbeaten former heavyweight champ (still lineal) Tyson Fury continues to call out reigning WBA/IBF champ Anthony Joshua for his first fight back – the return expected, Fury says, in either April or May – Joshua has replied by stating how this is mere “fantasy” on the part of Fury.
Fury, 25-0, who has hurled all manner of insults at Joshua, 20-0, has questioned whether or not AJ “has the balls” to fight him. In response, Joshua has told the Daily Mail how if it were up to him, he would fight Fury next – but that he cannot do so as, “he’s just not fit, he hasn’t had a fight.”
“That’s more of a fantasy at the moment,” Joshua said of a fight between he and the self-styled “Gypsy King.” “It’s just that he’s not fit and he hasn’t had a fight. The ball is in his court. We’ve stayed consistent, we’ve defended the titles we’ve won and we’ve captured more titles. If Fury was still fit, we would probably be talking about Fury for March. It’s not me……I’m definitely consistent and ready to fight anyone.”
While Joshua waits for Fury to get back into top shape, to be reinstated with his licence to box and to return with a win, he is close to fighting WBO champ Joseph Parker in March. Fury, then, will have a return fight against someone else, and he has tweeted how “the weight is flying off” and that “I feel like I never left.”
“Fantastic first week in camp, the weight is flying off, I’m more focused & determined than ever, if @anthonyjoshua doesn’t have the balls to sign to fight me then I’ll be out in late April/early May, feel like I never left!” Fury wrote.
We await Fury’s return with great interest, and it seems that if Fury is successful in his comeback Joshua will indeed be waiting to fight him some time in the not too distant future. Fury maintains Joshua is reluctant to fight him, Joshua says no way. Time will tell if this massive all-British clash actually happens, but both fighters insist they very much want it.