"No Anthony Joshua, No More Boxing!", Tyson Fury Declares

After an emphatic comeback win against Arslanbek Makhmudov, Tyson Fury has made it clear that unless Anthony Joshua is his next opponent, he will retire from his boxing career. Fury returned to the 62,850 capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, defeating Makhmudov by unanimous decision to mark his first fight…...

After an emphatic comeback win against Arslanbek Makhmudov, Tyson Fury has made it clear that unless Anthony Joshua is his next opponent, he will retire from his boxing career.

Fury returned to the 62,850 capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, defeating Makhmudov by unanimous decision to mark his first fight in 16 months.

But rather than celebrating a comeback, the British heavyweight turned his attention to the British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua during his post‑fight news conference.

He said, “Let’s get the fight on. Here’s the thing – if it ain’t Anthony Joshua next, I’m not interested in boxing. I’ll eat a thousand Easter eggs, go up to 35 stone. I’m out. I’m not interested.”

Fury made it clear he’s not motivated by titles, belts or rankings anymore, but only the Joshua fight will satisfy him.

“I’m not interested in up‑and‑comers trying to make a name off me. I don’t care about belts. I only care now about AJ. That’s the defining fight for British boxing.”

The Fury‑Joshua matchup has tantalised fight fans for years, nearly coming to fruition in 2021 for the undisputed heavyweight crown before negotiations collapsed. Talk of the bout has surfaced repeatedly since, but deals have consistently fallen through.

Read Also

Reacting to Fury, Joshua maintained that negotiations and contracts need to go through.

The British Nigerian Boxer noted that he still has personal matters to work through following a serious car crash in Nigeria in December that claimed the lives of two close friends, Lateef Ayodele and Cina Gami.

“There’s a negotiation that you go through. I’ve sat at that table with him many times,” Joshua said in an interview with Netflix.

He added, “In my heart, I’ll fight Tyson Fury tomorrow, especially after watching this fight. I’m not here to get clout. I’m here to fight.

“I need time to consider my next steps… But I’m here. I’m keeping my eye on the game. There’s real stuff happening in my life. I’m not ducking anyone.”

Promoter Frank Warren insists Fury has signed and agreed to fight Joshua, and Fury’s camp says the fight will “100% happen this year,” though no date or site has been confirmed.

Potential venues such as London’s Wembley Stadium and Dublin’s Croke Park have been discussed.