Tyson Fury is his usual vocal self on social media, calling out a different fighter every day. This time it was the turn of British rival Anthony Joshua.
The fight was of immense importance just under a year ago, as both were heavyweight champions. An undisputed battle would have made headlines around the world.
Fast-forward to September 2022, and Fury has his roots in the UK after beating Dillian Whyte. On the other hand, Joshua has lost twice since his last trades.
Fury Tyson
Fury, who always retires, is no longer the number one fighter in the division. Joshua is arguably out of the top five after dropping out of the WBN Pound for Pound Top 50.
Two losses to the superior Oleksandr Usyk have put Joshua’s elite career in doubt. The 2012 Olympian is now planning a low-key world tour with no belts to show off.
If both sides managed to get through this fight now, their relevance would have plummeted significantly. Fury must battle Joshua to win back the UK audience.
AJ’s state is not what it once was after his post-fight tirade. His coach even called it “disrespectful” to the Ukrainian.
Fans in the UK are certainly not as excited about the fight as they once were. Fury is a heavy favorite in what was once billed as a 50-50 fight.
He’s a high-end heavyweight scrap, there’s no doubt about that. But it is no longer a top division super fight around the world.
There’s also the fact that Fury and Joshua will likely want to take the fight overseas to the Middle East. That would be another bug around the event if they did.
Fury vs. Joshua in the UK
Fury vs Joshua has to take place in the UK because of its importance. It would be the biggest fight of all time on those shores. However, if they’re going for the money, like Usyk vs Joshua 2, UK fans tend to be quieter about the contest than when it’s on their doorstep.
Currently, the summer of 2024, after Fury faces Usyk twice and Joshua gets a few wins under his belt, would be the best case scenario.
Looking at the buzz surrounding Fury vs Joshua, he is around 60% full from 2021. Not where a fight of this historic magnitude belongs.
Now is not the ideal window. It would be a wrong step to even discuss the event at this point. Build it and earn more interest from the United States.
And where would it take place if the controllers made sense and promoted it in the UK? – Most likely at the Principality of Wales Stadium – another misstep.
This fight has to be at Wembley, they can’t rush the money and it needs careful planning.
Putting Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua now is a mistake.
The views expressed in this article are the views of Phil Jay.
WBN editor Phil has over ten years of boxing news experience. He follows WBN on Facebook @officialworldboxingnews and Twitter @worldboxingnews.
