It’s an assured box-office smash and one of the biggest heavyweights fights in British boxing history, and promoter Eddie Hearn tells Sky Sports talks are already underway to make it happen: Tyson Fury, the world’s number-one and linear heavyweight king, against Anthony Joshua, the IBF ruler. Both men have upcoming fights to win first – Fury with his must-win return with Wladimir Klitschko on July 9th, Joshua with the somewhat easier challenge of Dominic Breazeale on June 25th (easier on paper anyway).
But assuming the two giants come through, they could meet in a monster fight this November. Hearn says he has already spoken to Peter Fury, uncle and trainer of Tyson, and that Fury told him they definitely want the fight (this despite Tyson’s recent, “I’ll quit after the Klitschko rematch” talk). Hearn says the basic outlines of a deal have already been agreed upon.
“Tyson Fury has belts so he’s definitely a target because Anthony Joshua wants to unify the heavyweight division,” Hearn told Sky Sports. “It’s also a fight we think is quite straightforward for us. One hundred percent out target is Fury. I’ve already spoken to Peter Fury last week. He runs the shop for Tyson and makes all the decisions. He’s told me: ‘100 percent we want that fight.’ We’ve even talked about the deal and the structure of the deal already, so we’ve just got to keep winning. If it’s not November then 100 percent next spring or summer.”
Aside from a Fury-Deontay Wilder showdown, Fury Vs. Joshua is arguably the biggest and best heavyweight match-up that can be made today. Fury, if he can maintain motivation and discipline, would likely be a narrow favourite to win (despite Hearn’s belief that the fight is “quite straightforward for us”) based upon his greater experience at pro level. Joshua has yet to go beyond the 7th-round and he has only had to go that far on one occasion (in his gut check of a win over Dillian Whyte). But in a year or so, things could be different and maybe Joshua would be better to wait a fight or three before taking on Fury. Still, both young and unbeaten fighters (A.J being a year younger at age 26) want that massive payday, not to mention all the belts, and it seems the fight will be fast tracked.
Wladimir Klitschko will have a lot to say about any future Fury fight, and he has vowed to KO Fury on July 9th. But if Klitschko can be overcome once again, and as long as Joshua picks no risky fight in his second voluntary title defence after he’s dealt with Breazeale, The Battle of Britain will surely happen and soon.
A natural stadium fight, Fury-Joshua could theoretically pull in a crowd of around 60,000 or more.