Fury vs Joshua date and venue now clear after | Boxing News

A ten-year sporting cleaning soap opera was condensed into three excruciating minutes. In Tyson Fury‘s thoughts, he had executed his plan to perfection. He had efficiently navigated his approach past the intimidating but restricted Arslanbek Makhmudov after 16 months out of the ring.

All that was left was for Anthony Joshua to be a part of him in the ring, shake palms and agree to make each other even wealthier. But there his scheme hit an 18-stone brick wall. Joshua remained slouched in his front-row seat, barely transferring an inch as Fury, 37, called the pictures.

When he did attempt a response, his microphone did not work. “Tyson, you are a clout chaser. I’ve never had a problem getting in the ring with you,” Joshua ultimately fired back. “I’ll see you in that ring in due time, you won’t tell me what to do.

“When you’re prepared, you inform me your situations and I’ll let you know when I’m prepared. I’m the owner, bear in mind that, you’re employed for me.” At that, a baffled Fury left the ring feeling as flat as the previously-charged atmosphere.

Joshua later explained he is still recovering after sustaining injuries in a tragic car crash which killed two of his close friends last December. But he is resolute in his determination not to dance to Fury’s tune. The 36-year-old has seen this movie before and needs to be convinced there will be a happier ending.

He and Fury agreed terms in 2021 before the latter was instead ordered to fight Deontay Wilder for a third time. Fury won, but Joshua had by then lost his heavyweight world titles to Oleksandr Usyk. And the Olympic champion has no doubt Fury is to blame for the missed chances over the last decade.

Before cheating death in Nigeria days after knocking out Jake Paul, Joshua had laid out a two-fight schedule for this year. He would return to the ring in March – likely against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven who will instead face Usyk next month – before facing Fury this summer.

And the charade in Tottenham has not altered the thinking behind that plan. Joshua, who has returned to Valencia where he trains alongside Usyk, will now have his warm-up fight in July. He and his team have proposed that be against Deontay Wilder who edged out Derek Chisora earlier this month.

But while Wilder is not the knockout artist of old, it is believed he may be considered too risky. Assuming Joshua emerges unscathed this summer, his fight with Fury will finally be staged in October or November. The British blockbuster would be streamed by Netflix – who it’s understood have been told it had already been agreed.

And despite hypothesis, Dublin’s Croke Park won’t play host, with Wembley the seemingly venue. For his half, Fury insists he has agreed phrases to face Joshua as half of a three-fight deal first outlined in Turkey last summer season.

But Joshua is still reviewing his own contract and won’t be rushed into placing pen to paper. Nevertheless, there’s confidence a deal will finally be struck – just not on Fury’s phrases.