Tyson Fury is evidently not just talking this time.
The heavyweight champion, who recently “didn’t retire,” was expected to fight Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship in his next fight. However, Fury wants to fight as soon as possible. And Usyk has indicated that he won’t be ready to play until next year.
Enter Anthony Joshua, Usyk’s two-time victim.
Fury reportedly submitted a bid to take on his old rival before the end of this year, proposing a 60-40% split of the proceeds. And Joshua has accepted, according to his promoter, Eddie Hearn.
That seems to make an all-British showdown on December 17 a realistic possibility, although Hearn warned in an interview with IFL TV on Wednesday: “In essence, we accept the offer. Lots of conversations to have.”
“WE ACCEPT 60/40”
✅ @EddieHearn has confirmed that he has accepted a 60/40 offer for @Tyson_Fury vs @anthonyjoshua!
Watch the full interview HERE ➡️ https://t.co/79gC4KS14L
Who wins and how? ⬇️#Boxing #EddieHearn #FuryJoshua #TysonFury #AnthonyJoshua pic.twitter.com/o4LYisxHLc
— IFL TV (@IFLTV) September 7, 2022
The fight could take place at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, which has a retractable roof. However, that also remains to be resolved.
“So I came back this morning and said we take it 60-40,” Hearn told IFL TV. “We want that to turn into a rematch, rightly so, because you are the champion here, you want the biggest division, which I think is fair.
“We want to do the fight in December and curiously they have December 17… at [Principality]so that’s perfect, that’s perfect for us.”
Fury spoke with TalkSport on Wednesday.
“I think [60-40] it is more than generous,” he said. “I didn’t want to go in and start offering them 20% like they would have done to me. I really want this fight to happen though, as Usyk, the little middleweight, doesn’t want to smoke like I thought he didn’t, and now I’m going for AJ.
“I already beat Deontay Wilder, so there’s only one other person and that’s AJ, the bodybuilder! So why not give him 40 percent? Give him no excuses and let’s do the fight for the British public.”
Fury and Joshua seemed headed for a matchup last year. However, a judge in the US ruled that Fury was obligated to honor a rematch agreement and fight Wilder for a third time.
That fight took place in October and Fury stopped Wilder in 11 rounds, his second consecutive KO of the former champion. He then knocked out Dillian Whyte in six rounds last April, Fury’s most recent fight.
Joshua, meanwhile, lost three of the four major titles to Usyk via unanimous decision in September of last year and then lost via split decision in the rematch on August 20. That should give him plenty of time to prepare for a fight with Fury in December.
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