Tyson Fury targets Anthony Joshua showdown before the end of the year
Tyson Fury has challenged Anthony Joshua to agree to a blockbuster all-British heavyweight clash before the end of the year, following his upcoming bout against Arslanbek Makhmudov.
The 37-year-old takes on the Russian at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, marking his first ring appearance since December 2024.
Securing a long-awaited bout with his domestic rival remains the primary focus for the returning former world champion.
Previous attempts to finalise the highly anticipated match-up have repeatedly collapsed over the past decade.
Tragedy and a return to training
The prospect of a 2026 meeting faded following a fatal car accident in Nigeria last December that tragically killed two of Joshua’s close friends and team members.
However, the Olympic gold medallist has since resumed training and attended Deontay Wilder’s recent victory over Dereck Chisora in London.
With the American now heavily linked as an opponent for the Watford-born fighter, Fury believes a domestic showdown must happen immediately.
“This fight was supposed to happen so many times over the last 10 years, but then someone has had one more fight in between and someone has got knocked out or injured,” Fury said.
“I think we should get this fight on as soon as possible in case something happens in between.”
“Forget Wilder, the man is a shell of himself. Let me get through Saturday and then we will do the fight before the end of the year.”
Family rift overshadows comeback
It remains uncertain whether John Fury will be present in north London this weekend, as father and son are currently not on speaking terms.
Last month, the family patriarch publicly urged the heavyweight star to retire, claiming the gruelling trilogy with Wilder has left him severely diminished.
The returning veteran dismissed those comments, insisting his sole focus remains on his impending ring walk.
“I don’t care if he’s there, I’ve got business to take care of and who’s in the crowd is not an important thing to me at all,” he added.
“I haven’t really paid any attention to it because I take it with a pinch of salt.”
