Tyson Fury sounds off on Anthony Joshua!
Earlier this week, the WBC heavyweight champion Deontay “Bronze Bomber” Wilder (41-0-1, 40 KO’s) effectively shook up the division. He did so by formally announcing that he would rematch Luis “King Kong” Ortiz (31-1, 26 KO’s) in September.
The news has left many in the boxing world crestfallen due to their hoping and wishing that Wilder vs Joshua was coming next. The US vs UK super fight is arguably the biggest event to be made in the sport.
Things seemed to brighten a bit when Wilder followed with an announcement that he will be facing Fury in early 2020! This comes on the heels of the WBC champion stating the unified champion’s team doesn’t wan the fight.
The back and forth dealings of Team Joshua and Team Wilder have been an ongoing saga stretching back a few years. In recent months, Wilder has been very public about his reluctance to even want to communicate with AJ’s team.
In particular, the Bronze Bomber cites promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Promotions as the chief reason why he is slow to return to the negotiation table. The Tuscaloosa native grew weary of the constant lies and double-talk that Hearn has become infamous for.
Alternative Options
So, having a number of alternative options on his plate, Wilder chose to chuck knuckles with Ortiz one more time.
Their premier fight was an edge of your seat thriller that saw Wilder hurt badly and Ortiz floored twice. Many of the Bronze Bomber’s fan are nervous all over again now that he has legitimized the do-over.
Despite the fact that Ortiz is clearly a dangerous out for any in the division, a number of people are airing their discontent. At the top of this list is Anthony Joshua and crew. They are accusing Wilder of ducking and hiding.
Team Joshua would have preferred that the Bomber wait until after AJ’s June 1 scrap with Andy Ruiz Jr. Given that Joshua prevails, they claim that they would have wanted the chance to make the super fight with Wilder.
Now that the Bomber has removed his name from the table, the glaring question is “Why doesn’t Anthony Joshua fight Tyson Fury”?
When the subject of the heavyweight division comes up, Wilder, Fury and Joshua are routinely listed as being the best. The Bronze Bomber and the Gypsy King have already fought to a wildly unpopular draw.
So, simple logic would say that Fury v Joshua is the next best heavyweight bout to be made. Both are trying to raise their US profile, which would lend appeal to a showdown in the states.
Alternatively, they could return to their native UK soil and fight one another in an epic homeland title fight.
Either way you slice it, Joshua v Fury is a meaningful, competitive and fan friendly scrap that shouldn’t be overly difficult to make. If these two men are serious about proving themselves to be the most dominant in the division, it would not make much sense to miss one another at this point.
Unfortunately, Fury has already cast some doubt on the possible fight. In an interview with FightHype.com The Gypsy King displayed zero interest and flat out said that Joshua didn’t “have the balls” to fight him.
Let’s just keep our fingers crossed anyway!
By: Bakari Simpson
