It has received a lot of discussion. Many times, conversations have begun and ended. Even so, is it possible that Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will face off?
Joshua(27-3, 24KOs), a former unified heavyweight champion who is currently making a comeback to the top, and Fury, 35, the current WBC champion, are titans in British boxing. They both have important fights coming up. Joshua, 34, will face Francis Ngannou(17-3, 12KOs) from Cameroon, the former UFC champion who gave Tyson Fury(34-0-1, 24KOs) a tough 10-round contest last year, in a boxing match on March 8. Then, on May 18, Fury squares off against the heavyweight champion of the WBO, WBA, and IBF, Oleksandr Usyk(21-0, 14KOs), in their postponed undisputed championship bout.
If the two heavyweights from Britain win their individual fights, it will be inevitable to question if they will face off in 2024.
“If there’s a chance to jump in late summer or early autumn and make AJ vs Fury, it can be done and there’s ways to make it happen. I think there’s every chance that could happen. [With] contracts, everyone’s got to be respected in that sense. But the pressure will be on to make that fight,” said Eddie Hearn, Anthony Joshua’s promoter.
“They’re all going to be trying to get themselves into a position to have a fight for one of the mandatory [positions] or fight for a vacant title if the titles fragment again, which I hope they won’t,” said Frank Warren, Fury’s co-promoter in media reports.
“It’s like a renaissance in boxing. Big cards are happening, which we could never under normal circumstances put together because they wouldn’t work out financially but because they’re part of this event, Riyadh season, it’s great for the fans. The heavyweight division, it’s never been as lively as this,” he added.
When Ngannou, 37, takes on Joshua in a battle next month, it will only be his second professional boxing match. When a mixed martial artist fights a seasoned former champion, it will be a difficult match. However, Ngannou did manage to drop Fury in his professional debut. That’s why he will be dangerous.
“All that matters is March 8 for us, because anything can happen in that fight. For me this is a performance that has to encompass discipline and brutality,” said Hearn.
