By: Sean Crose
There has been a lot of talk in recent days about WBC and lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury getting in the ring with former WBA, IBF and WBO champion Anthony Joshua before the end of the year. . Fury’s co-promoter Bob Arum, however, isn’t seeing a Fury-Joshua fight anytime soon.
“I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Arum told Boxing King Media on Thursday, “because as much as Fury would want it to happen, I put myself in the shoes of Eddie Hearn (Joshua’s promoter) and Joshua. And after losing twice to Usyk, the first thing you want to do is bring him back in the ring and get him two fights where he gets his confidence back.” Indeed, Joshua has recently lost again to Usyk, the man who took the belts from him last year.
“If he gets back in the ring now with Fury,” Arum said of Joshua, “it’s going to be a massacre.”
Arum was asked about a 60/40 split offered by Fury to Joshua. “I think it’s pretty fair,” Arum admitted. “I mean Joshua is no longer a champion…hey him, if Fury is willing to do that, then for sure I’ll take it, but again,” he added, “let’s not jump. I don’t think Fury vs. Joshua will happen this year because everything I know about boxing from Joshua’s point of view indicates it won’t happen.”
So does Fury still intend to fight again this year, even if it’s not against someone as popular or as challenging as Joshua? “Fury is definitely going to fight this year,” Arum said, “(he) is definitely going to fight in the UK.” Arum means that he recently spoke with Usyk’s promoter, Egis Klimas.
“Please don’t rush us,” Arum quoted Klimas as saying, “we’ll do the fight (against Tyson Fury) in the first quarter of next year.” If that turns out to be true, then Fury and Usyk will be fighting for the undisputed world heavyweight championship before next spring…provided, of course, that Fury beats his next opponent, whoever he turns out to be.
“If this Joshua fight doesn’t come to fruition,” Arum said, “which I think it won’t, then Frank and George, Queensbury and our people will find a suitable opponent for Fury to fight in the UK.”
