Tyson Fury Easily Decisions Makhmudov and Challenges Joshua
Following back-to-back defeats to unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury (35-2-1, 24 KO’s) returned to the win column. The UK-born bruiser accomplished this by claiming a unanimous decision over Russian brute Arslanbek “The Lion” Makhmudov (21-3, 19 KO’s). When the scores were tallied, Fury won to the tune of 119-109 and 120-108 (twice). Now, former heavyweight champion Anthony “AJ” Joshua has claimed his full attention.
In a very WWE-feeling moment, The Gypsy King formally and very forcefully called out Joshua who was on hand at ringside, making one of his first major public appearances since his car crash shortly after his stoppage of Jake Paul in December. Instead of accepting the challenge however, Joshua initially just sat silent with an odd grin painted on his jaw. When pressed on the issue, the former heavyweight champion essentially refused to bite The Gypsy King’s bait.
FURY JUMPING THE GUN?
There is a chance that Fury and Joshua could happen next, yet you wouldn’t want to bet the family dog on it. Considering comments from Eddie Hearn back in February, it appears Tyson Fury was making a play at public negotiations to time the fight in his favor:
“Originally (before the car crash), the plan for AJ was for him to fight in March and then fight Tyson Fury in August. That’s not happening … He’s not fighting Tyson Fury next. He’s going to come back, I believe, late summer, but physically he’s not yet in a position to return to camp…We’re open to the Fury fight but probably more likely [near the] end of the year, maybe early 2027.”
When given the mic, AJ was optimistic about the fight coming to fruition but was non-committal on the timing. The former champion made clear that settling personal issues are his priority and precede him being one hundred percent ready to face Fury. Notably, in the same interview, Joshua claimed, “you’ll probably see us in the ring next, more than likely,” and, “there is no fight right now.”
All being considered, its clear that Fury and Joshua are sizing each other up for a showdown. Optimistically, signs point to it occurring within the next 12 months, if not next. A safe bet would see Joshua taking on a warm-up fight first, as suggested by Hearn. So, based on how the backroom dealing goes, it’ll be revealing to see how Fury moves in the coming months.
It sure was WWE like🤣🤣