Tyson Fury has turned up the pressure on long-time rival Anthony Joshua, insisting the much-anticipated heavyweight showdown must happen next—or not at all.
The WBC champion revealed he has already signed his part of the deal for an all-British blockbuster, but claims Joshua is yet to commit, leaving the bout in limbo.
“I don’t want to put deadlines on it.
“He either wants to do it or he doesn’t. Now or never,” Fury said.
The rivalry between the two has simmered for over a decade. Since Fury first captured a world title in 2015 and Joshua surged to global prominence following his London 2012 Olympic triumph, calls for a clash between Britain’s biggest heavyweights have only intensified.
That anticipation grew louder again on Saturday night after Fury’s comeback victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
With Joshua seated ringside, Fury wasted no time in issuing a direct challenge. He invited his rival into the ring for a face-off, hoping to ignite immediate confirmation of the fight.
However, Joshua declined to step forward and stopped short of publicly agreeing to the contest, though he did not rule it out entirely.
Fury interpreted the response as reluctance.
“I was openly surprised.
“He was brought here tonight for a reason—to get in the ring, face off and get the fight done. I’ve signed, months ago. I don’t know if he has.
“He was evasive, didn’t give any definite answers. One thing I know—he wasn’t saying yes,” he said.
The outspoken champion went further, questioning Joshua’s willingness.
“In my opinion, he didn’t want it. He didn’t look like he wanted it. He seemed shell-shocked, like he didn’t know what to say. If it was me, I’d have jumped in there straight away—let’s get it on,” he stressed.
Despite years of near-misses, the fight remains elusive, even as public demand continues to grow.
“It’s been 10 years in the making.
“And still there’s uncertainty about whether it’s going to happen next,” Fury added.
Confusion deepened when streaming platform Netflix suggested on social media that the bout was pencilled in for the autumn. Fury’s camp quickly distanced itself from the claim.
Manager Spencer Brown said: “We don’t know about it.”
Promoter Frank Warren echoed that stance, placing the responsibility squarely on Joshua’s side.
“The only person who can confirm it is AJ.
“One man is holding the fight up,” Warren said.
As frustration mounted during his post-fight press conference, Fury even hinted at walking away from the sport if the clash fails to materialise.
“If it isn’t Anthony Joshua next, I’m not interested in boxing.
“I’ll go off, put on the weight and that’s it.
“I only care about AJ now. That’s the defining fight in British boxing. It either happens—or it doesn’t,” he declared.
