Tyson Fury arrived home from Dubai today, having been out there training for his upcoming WBC title defence against mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte; who was until February 21 to sign the contract for the fight.
Whyte is expected to sign, and take the career-biggest payday of around $8 million that goes with the April fight. But Fury says he is doubtful Anthony Joshua – the man many, many fans are still hoping they will see fight Fury in an all-British extravaganza that will take place while both rivals are still active – will go ahead with his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury, who really has been going into overdrive with the talking just lately, most of it of the trash variety, says AJ is “a busted flush” and is reluctant to take the return with Usyk “because he gets knocked out.”
Jeff Powell of The Mail heard Fury lay into first Joshua and then Whyte this afternoon.
“Basically Joshua’s a busted flush. There’s still no sign of him taking on Usyk again,” Fury said today. “He doesn’t want the fight because he gets knocked out second time and he’s finished. And that’s the big fight with me in the dustbin, even though the world knows I’ll fight anyone.
[As for] Dillian Whyte, I’ve never hated Dillian, my old sparring partner, but he would be an idiot as well as a coward if he pulls out of this fight. At $8 million this is the biggest payday of his life by a fortune. I’m making him for life. He’s getting eight times more than I got to beat Wladimir Klitschko. What’s the matter with him?”
Again, most fans expect Whyte to sign on for the fight on February 21. As for the Usyk-Joshua rematch, Eddie Hearn says he expects the fight to go ahead in May, although no venue or other details have yet been announced. It has been said that Joshua might – might – opt to take a “tune-up” fight as he gets more closely bonded with his new trainer, whoever this is.
Basically, until both contracts are fully signed and sealed – for Fury Vs. Whyte and for Usyk Vs. Joshua II – we will not know for a 100 percent certainty that both fights will actually go ahead. Of course, we hope both fights happen, and that the two winners then collide in what would be a monster heavyweight unification showdown. And why on earth shouldn’t things play out in such a way?