Tyson Fury has challenged Anthony Joshua to clear his schedule for a titanic December showdown between boxing’s two heavyweight champions, telling his fellow Brit that the two should clash in December.
Fury’s callout comes amid uncertain times in top-level boxing as the sport remains impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions governing international travel, as well as caps placed upon the numbers of people permitted to gather inside of an arena.
Workarounds exist, as Eddie Hearn proved over the last several weeks, but with the immediate futures of the two men who hold all the marbles at heavyweight – Fury and Joshua – still unresolved, ‘The Gypsy King’ says that he and his British rival should get into the ring if Fury’s proposed third fight with Deontay Wilder suffers a COVID KO.
“If Wilder doesn’t happen, let’s do Joshua in December. Let’s get it on. I’m ready to go now, I’d have fought him in that ring tonight,” Fury said after watching Daniel Dubois’ second round win against Ricardo Snijders on Saturday.
“I’d still kick his arse, any time of the day. Hopefully they grow a pair and want to fight the Gypsy King.“
The path for this to happen is a circuitous one. In addition to Fury’s supposed December 19 fight with Wilder, Joshua must deal with his mandatory IBF challenger Kubrat Pulev – but a date for this has not been announced after plans to hold it this summer were waylaid by virus restrictions.
“Grow a pair, come see the champ, and I’ll sort you all out. I’m just waiting here patiently,” Fury added.
“No fights on the horizon, training like a lunatic, running up mountains, I’ve become a human racehorse.
“I’m looking forward to all challenges, whatever they are bring them to the Gypsy King and I’ll deal with them, in exciting fashion.”