The countdown has begun for the undisputed heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk rescheduled for May 18.
Fury held a press conference at Mazuma Stadium in Morecambe, U.K., alongside promoter Frank Warren on Wednesday, and a full five weeks ahead of his collision with Usyk, a separate media frenzy has begun regarding a long-discussed bout with domestic rival and two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua.
The pair were set to collide in 2022, but due to contractual mishaps, Fury instead concluded a trilogy with Deontay Wilder while Joshua faced – and fell to – Usyk. Harsh words have often been traded between both camps since.
Will the bad blood linger until Fury-Joshua can finally be made?
“What about? Being called a dosser or a sausage?” Fury said. “What’s really been said? Has he ever said anything to me that’s personal – or me to him? I don’t think so.
“If he was here now, we would go for a beer over there and a jam sandwich, or I would take him out for fish and chips. I would take him back to my house to meet my kids and take a picture. What, do you think there is bad blood between two professional boxers? Behave yourself.”
Joshua has since rebounded to become the next-best heavyweight after the two champions, with impressive stoppage victories over Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia. With Wilder falling from the pack after a loss to Joseph Parker, it’s now Joshua’s name being linked with the winner of Fury-Usyk. It has been widely reported that there have been discussions for a future bout to take place at Wembley Stadium.
“It won’t be at Wembley Stadium when that happens,” Fury said. “If you are paying $200 million for something, are you going to do it in someone else’s country? Doubt that. Maybe in the rematch, yeah – if there is a rematch.
“The way I look at it is that Joshua is an old dosser and he’s got to wait his turn because he had his chance with Usyk, and he lost fair and square. He already lost to Usyk not once, but twice. So that puts him at the back of the queue, and he has to wait until I’ve dealt with your man.
“I can’t overlook Usyk. Usyk is not going to say, ‘Alright then, I don’t want my 75 million that I’m getting in the rematch. Please just give me 50 grand to step aside.’ You really think that is going to happen? I don’t think so.”
