Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have once again taken to the microphone to hurl insults at one another, reigniting speculation about whether their long‑awaited clash will ever materialise this year. The two British heavyweights were originally slated to meet in November, although a specific date and venue have yet to be confirmed.
In the meantime, both fighters have busy weeks ahead, with Fury set to defend his standing against Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand on Friday, and Joshua scheduled to face Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Fury, who has been vocal about his willingness to fight "anybody else" later in the calendar year, used his interview with Sky Sports News’ Dev Sahni to vent frustration at his compatriot.
He dismissed the prospect of a Joshua bout with a string of expletives, stating, "Let's not make this about silly Mr Bodybuilder. I'm not interested in him or his mates or anybody else. I don't give a **** about him. I don't care if I ever see him again in my life.
If I do, I do. If I don't, I don't." He went on to say that anyone connected to Joshua – manager, wife, sister or cousin – held no interest for him. The former champion continued, "We've got five months left of the year, so I want to get this fella [Wach] boxed, do well, and do what I can." He then bragged about his physical condition, claiming he could defeat the Polish challenger with one hand and that he felt "injury‑free, in fine fettle, and ready to rock and roll." Fury added that if a fight with Joshua does not materialise, he will simply pursue another opponent, saying, "There's five months to get another fight in before the end of the year. And if it is your man Anthony Joshua, good.
And if it's not, then I'll be fighting somebody else." Joshua responded in kind, dubbing Fury "Mr Greedy Belly" and pledging to "do his part of the bargain" by beating Prenga on the weekend. He mocked Fury’s physique, noting, "He's always been talking about my body for so many years. What I would do for him at a discounted rate because of his profile, I'll help him transform his body from being a greedy belly into a bodybuilder. I'll give him a set of six‑pack abs." The former champion promised to hand over a set of abs to the Gypsy King if Fury ever wanted to know the secret to a chiseled midsection, adding, "He's always obsessed with my abs.
It's going down. If I get past my next fight, I've stood up, I've done my part of the bargain. And now it's up to your mate, Mr Greedy Belly, to fulfil his obligation to get in the ring with me." The venue discussion also entered the fray, with Joshua suggesting Wembley Stadium might need to extend its curfew to 2 a.m. to accommodate a global television broadcast.
He painted a picture of a "quick party, quick central London, local Wetherspoons or whatever it is, and then hit the fight night in Wembley. That would be unbelievable," hinting that a later start time could benefit the spectacle.
Fury’s bout with Wach is scheduled for around 4 p.m. UK time on Friday in front of roughly 1,500 spectators in the Thai resort town of Pattaya. Joshua’s fight against Prenga will take place the following night in Jeddah.
Notably, Joshua attended Fury’s April victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov in London, but Fury has made it clear he will not travel to Saudi Arabia for a potential showdown. When pressed about the possibility of meeting Joshua in Saudi Arabia on Saturday as a signal that their mega‑fight is imminent, Fury responded, "You can send out as many signals as you want.
You've been told for 10 years it's happening. It hasn't happened, has it? So don't hold your breath. I've always had my doubts.
But if it happens, good. If it doesn't, also good." Mariusz Wach, a former heavyweight world champion who last held a title in 2012, continues to fight on a regular basis despite a recent record of eight losses in his last twelve outings.
At 46, he expressed a desire to "ruin" Fury’s plans for a Joshua clash, while Fury himself acknowledged the veteran’s experience, calling him "a tough man, a veteran, and he's been around the game 20 years plus. So he's a dangerous man, a big heavyweight and anything can happen. I've got to obviously be wary of him and be on my A‑game and do what I do." Fury added that he has spent the past ten weeks training intensively, leaving "no stone unturned," and feels "fit as a fiddle" and in "great shape." Both fighters remain locked in a war of words that seems designed to keep public interest alive while the logistics of a December showdown remain murky.
Whether they will finally step into the ring together or continue to chase other opponents remains to be seen, but the banter, the bravado, and the endless speculation ensure the heavyweight division stays in the headlines.