Arum: If Joshua Faces Fury Next – It Would Be a Massacre!

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, who co-promotes WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, believes Anthony Joshua would be demolished if a fight went ahead in the fall.

Joshua is looking to make a comeback at the end of the year as he hopes to bounce back after suffering back-to-back decision losses to IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury wanted to face Usyk in the coming months, but the unified belt holder is not looking to fight until the first quarter of 2023 at the earliest.

Earlier this week, Fury made a direct proposal to Joshua, with a 60-40 money split for a year-end showdown in the UK.

There are ongoing talks between Fury’s co-promoter, Queensberry Promotions, and Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn.

Arum has serious doubts that Hearn would put Joshua in such a dangerous fight after his fighter suffered back-to-back heavy losses.

“I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Arum told Boxing Social. “While Fury would want it to happen, I put myself in Eddie Hearn and Joshua’s shoes and after losing twice to Usyk, the first thing I want to do is get him back in the ring and get him two fights where whatever restores confidence. Yes Get back in the ring now with Fury, it will be a massacre.”

As for the terms for such a fight, Arum feels the 60% split in Fury’s favor is justified under the circumstances.

“I believe that [the purse split] fair enough, right? I mean, Joshua is no longer a champion. But again, 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,” Arum said.