AJ Refuses to Commit to Long-Awaited Fury Fight

Anthony Joshua has stated that he will likely face Tyson Fury in his next bout, but has refused to commit to the highly anticipated British heavyweight showdown after being called out by his rival. Joshua was in attendance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to watch Fury defeat Arslanbek Makhmudov, and was immediately challenged by Fury to a fight. However, Joshua remained non-committal, stating that he will only agree to the bout through official contract negotiations. Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, also refused to get drawn into the ring, instead opting to negotiate the fight through the usual channels. The bout between Joshua and Fury has been mooted for years, but has never come to fruition. In 2021, the two fighters agreed to fight for the undisputed heavyweight champion title, but the bout was ultimately cancelled due to Deontay Wilder exercising a rematch clause. Joshua has stated that he is not interested in engaging in a war of words with Fury, and will only agree to the fight once the terms and conditions have been agreed upon. Fury, on the other hand, has been vocal in his desire to face Joshua, and has stated that he wants to give the fans the fight they have been waiting for. The fight between the two British heavyweights is expected to be one of the biggest bouts in boxing history, and fans are eagerly awaiting an official announcement. Joshua has only fought once since losing to Daniel Dubois in September 2024, and has been dealing with the fallout from a serious car accident in Nigeria that resulted in the deaths of his friends Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. Joshua has stated that his focus is on dealing with the aftermath of the incident, and will only consider his next fight once he is 100% ready.