Fresh off his win over novice Francis Ngannou last Friday night, Anthony Joshua claims he’s ready to fight Tyson Fury now, even “in his back garden” in the UK.
If that were only true, we know that Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) and Fury are destined to fight in Saudi Arabia if the fight ever comes off.
It could be difficult to negotiate the fight between them if Fury shines in victory against Oleksandr Usyk, considering he’ll play it up and want a king’s ransom to face AJ. It’ll be interesting to see if the Saudis placate Fury or tell him to get lost, and substitute Joseph Parker as Joshua’s opponent.
He’s done well on the last two shows in Saudi Arabia, beating Zhilei Zhang and Deontay Wilder. Parker is a good plan B option for the Saudis if Fury proves to be a spoiled, intractable brat.
Fury still needs to defeat IBF, WBA, and WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk on May 18th, and possibly a second time, depending on whether His Excellency insists on an immediate rematch. It’ll be up to him. If not, Fury may be ready to face Joshua in the summer.
Still, it’s good to hear that Joshua is eager to face WBC heavyweight champion Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) to give the people what they want to see. Both fighters are in their mid-30s now, and fans have been waiting for this clash to take place for at least seven years.
“I’ll fight him in his back garden. I’m a fighting man. Wherever, whenever, however, it don’t matter,” said Joshua to Sky Sports Boxing about his willingness to fight Fury.
All About the Fans
“As long as we deliver for the fans, that’s the main thing,” said Joshua.
If Joshua wants to deliver for the fans, he should go the whole route by saying he’ll only fight Fury at Wembley Stadium in London. After all, that’s the ideal location to please the two fighters’ fan bases and allow them to watch the fight live and in person.
Staging the fight in Saudi Arabia will only line the pockets of Fury and Joshua while leaving out the fans who can’t afford the expensive trip to see the two.