Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury talked via Facetime today, planning their fight in early 2025. His Excellency Turki Alalshikh said the Fury-Joshua fight will happen in next year’s first or second quarter.
Overlooking Usyk and Dubois?
The fight will go ahead even if Fury is beaten in his rematch against unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk on December 21st and if IBF champion Daniel Dubois defeats Joshua on September 21st.
That’s a worst-case scenario. The chances are good that Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) will be victorious against Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs), who he is a favorite to beat, and Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) will avenge his loss to Usyk. However, you can’t rule out AJ and Fury losing these fights because both guys are in their mid-30s.
Boxing fans on social media are slightly put off by how Dubois and Usyk are being brushed aside. They feel those guys should be part of the equation. If Usyk wins his fight with Fury, he should fight Joshua in early 2025 if AJ is victorious against Dubois. However, this is business.
Public Demand Drives the Decision
The fans in the UK want to see Joshua and Fury fight, no matter what, and it matters little what happens in their upcoming fights. They just want to see them battle it out for the top spot in Britain, if not the world.
The way Fury looked in his last fight, losing to Usyk and needing to be saved by the referee in the ninth round on May 18th, he doesn’t look anything close to being one of the top fighters in the division.
Age, ring wear, and weight gain have taken a lot from his game, leaving the shell of the fighter fans witnessed being pummeled by Usyk in the ninth round, getting hit with 20 consecutive headshots without throwing one punch back and being given a dubious standing eight count in the nick of time.
We don’t know how good Joshua is at this point because he’s strictly poor opposition in his last four fights, being rebuilt by his promoter, Eddie Hearn, after his two defeats against Usyk. You have to assume that Joshua is in the same boat as Fury, as he is past his prime and ready to lose on September 21st if Dubois takes the fight to him like he did his last opponent, Filip Hrgovic.
His Excellency Turki: “Champ [Fury], finish the job on 21 of December of 21. We are waiting for you.”
Joshua: “I’m waiting for you. I’m waiting for you.”
Tyson Fury: “Good. I’ll get the job done [against Oleksandr Usyk].”
Joshua: “No, you won’t. Either way, I’m waiting for you.”
Fury: “I’ll get the job done.”
Joshua: “Either way.”
Turki: “Either way, he’s waiting for you.”
Fury: “Either way, I’ll fight him next. When are you going to put it on? What date?”
Turki: “In the first or second quarter of 2025. AJ waiting for you and the world waiting for you.”
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