By: Sean Crose
Tyson Fury appears confident that he’s going to be facing fellow heavyweight titlist Anthony Joshua in a superfight rather soon. Fury’s American promoter, Bob Arum, feels the same way, as does Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn, who is quoted by the Times as saying a “deal is done” for the much anticipated matchup. “Coming soon somewhere near you. 2021” Fury posted on social media last week, along with a poster promoting a battle between he and fellow Englishman Joshua. Although it must be made clear that nothing has been made official yet, it looks like a match between the two super sized heavyweights is now close to being signed.
Joshua, the WBA, IBF and WBO champ, last fought in December when he impressively knocked out longtime challenger Kurat Pulev in the 9th round. WBC and lineal champ Fury himself has been out of the ring for almost a year. His last time in action was in February of 2020, when he essentially demolished Deontay Wilder in a rematch of their memorable 2018 heavyweight title throwdown. Covid-19 has impacted boxing much as it has the rest of the world, and so more and more known fighters have been out of the ring for extended periods of time.
Fury-Joshua certainly appears to be the heavyweight bout fans want to see. A throwdown between the two men would help clear the air as to who the king of the heavyweight division truly is. Also interesting is the fact that a fight between the two men would be an entirely British affair (at least as far as the combatants in the ring go). If there’s ever been a heavyweight title superfight (as opposed to a high profile fight) between two Englishmen before, it’s been a long time since one has happened. Throw in the fact that Joshua and Fury have entirely different personalities and the possibility of a bout between them becomes all the more intriguing.
Left out of all this, of course, is former WBC champ Wilder. The American heavy hitter has clearly had a difficult time since the second Fury fight, blaming everything from the outfit he wore into the ring to perceived dishonesty from a trainer for the loss. Although he was said to be contracted to fight Fury once more, it’s been argued the legal time limit for that particular fight to occur has passed. At the moment, the fighter known as the “Bronze Bomber” has been keeping a low profile, leaving fans and analysts to wonder what’s next for the former titlist.