By Charles Brun: Tony Bellew says Anthony Joshua shouldn’t agree to fight Tyson Fury in November just because he says so.
Bellew notes that Joshua (24-3, 22 KOs) is more attractive than Fury, coming off a tough camp and an equally tough fight against Oleksandr Usyk on Aug. 20.
There is no reason for Joshua to return to fight WBC heavyweight champion Fury in November, especially for a 60-40 split.
Bellew says that if it were a 50-50 split, it would be “reasonable” to possibly accept it, but it would be pointless otherwise.
Boxing fans argue that Joshua should be willing to quickly return to Fury and agree to split his purse because he is undefeated and holds the WBC title.
What they don’t understand is that that means zero when it comes to who brings in the most money. That’s what really matters in this era, with every division watered down with world titles. It doesn’t matter anymore if you’re a champion or not. What matters is who brings the fans.
“AJ is the biggest draw. If you’re going to be reasonable and say 50/50, I’d be crazy not to take it,” Tony Bellew told talkSPORT. “But at 60/40, I would hesitate. Because you bring a lot to the table, probably more than the champion himself.
“I don’t think so. I know he is,” Bellew said when asked if he thinks Joshua is still the biggest draw in heavyweight boxing. “Let’s take a look at pay-per-view buys and sells. Let’s look at the marketability that comes to the table when he’s involved.
“Why is AJ involved in every fight we want to see? You know why? Because he is the most marketable and the most attractive. That’s why we all want to see it.
“If AJ announced that he will fight Wilder, do you think anyone cares about Fury-Usyk? If these two are fighting on the same night, who are you tuning in to watch? AJ-Wilder or Fury-Usyk?
“It’s great the way Fury has turned his life around, but you’re not the hottie that AJ is.
“He’s [Joshua] he has just come out of a tough camp and a tough fight. Does he need it right now just because Tyson says so? Probably not. Can you afford not to take advantage of the opportunity? Probably not so good. I’m not so sure it will happen,” Bellew said.
