In nearly a hundred years that heavyweight boxing has been around, no fight has haunted fans’ dreams more than Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury. AJ’s thunderous fists against Fury’s slippery brilliance have made boxing fans (especially British boxing fans) salivate over the idea of this fight for years. Yet, it never came to fruition. In 2021, the stars seemed aligned for an undisputed clash as Joshua had WBA, IBF and WBO titles. On the other hand, Fury was the WBC heavyweight champion. A two-fight deal was signed for August 14 in Saudi Arabia and every dream was coming true. Alas, at the last moment, The Gypsy King decided to take on Deontay Wilder again after the latter activated the rematch clause and AJ subsequently took on Oleksandr Usyk and the rest is heavyweight history.

Despite many talks and rumors in the following years, we never came that close to it again. Fast forward to 2024, Fury’s unexpected retirement announcement put brakes on the fight for good and fans’ dreams faded again. However, Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn have once again re-ignited the hopes of the fans.

Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua is still possible

Warren and Hearn were at loggerheads for a long time. That changed last year when the Saudis stepped in as Matchroom and Queensberry struck a deal with DAZN, ending their long-standing feud. As Queensberry’s new DAZN deal kicked off on April 1, Hearn and Warren sat down for a Q&A round together and answered candidly. As the Q&A moved forward, the question, “Which fight between a Matchroom/Queensberry fighter have you wanted to make but not been able to?” immediately brought a smile to both of their faces.

Hearn replied immediately, ” I mean… the obvious one, AJ-Fury. Who knows what the future holds?” leaving the door open for potential talks. Warren, who also has been longing for this fight for years now, echoed the same thought. He stated, “Same answer. I mean that’s the fight we all wanted to see. Us, the British fans. The fighters wanted it.” However, “For some reasons, it didn’t happen,” he said regrettably.

Just like the Matchroom head honcho, Warren also re-ignited fans’ hope, claiming that if Tyson Fury ever comes out of retirement, the fight is there to make. “But it’s never too late. Who knows if Tyson decides he’s fed up mowing the lawn, it may happen,” Warren shared.

While both the promoters have expressed their desire to make this blockbuster fight, Anthony Joshua has different ideas at the moment.

Jake Paul is a far bigger fight

After his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois last September at Wembley, Anthony Joshua was ready to take on Tyson Fury. But Fury’s retirement left him stuck, unsure of his next move. Amidst the confusion, Jake Paul, who also got robbed from a blockbuster fight when Canelo Alvarez signed a four-fight deal with Saudis, decided to step forward.

In a recent episode of BS w/ Jake Paul, ‘The Problem Child’ threw down a challenge for AJ, stating, “I want to fight Anthony Joshua because I know I will f***ing beat Anthony Joshua’s a**.” It would have been one of Paul’s usual call-outs with no pay-offs. However, things changed when rumors suggested that Anthony Joshua had called on El Gallo following the call-out.

Talking to The Sun, MVP co-owner, Nakisa Bidarian confirmed talks between Paul and AJ camp and declared this as a far bigger fight than Fury-AJ. “Ultimately Jake versus Joshua is three, four or five times bigger than Joshua versus Fury, easily. Not in the UK, the UK I think they’re similar. But on a global basis, it’s not even in the realm of the same conversation in terms of magnitude, scale, reach, interest, viewership, it would just blow it away,” he stated.

Bidarian added that even though Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury can attract hardcore boxing fans, their popularity in mainstream culture is doubtful. That is where Jake Paul will play a massive role. Bidarian refused to reveal what the camps have discussed so far but assured the fans that there is something brewing for 2026.

Tony Bellew Makes KO Prediction For Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury: “He’s Not The Better Boxer”

There is still a hope that Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury can finally come to blows in the ring and Tony Bellew has now shared his view on what will happen.

This is one of the biggest fights that could be made in world boxing. The major hurdle to it right now is that Fury is retired, and has been since early January. His announcement came as something of a surprise just weeks after he took his second consecutive defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.

Both contests were close and went the full 12 rounds, but both saw Fury lose on the cards, having initially come up short in their first fight for undisputed honours back in May 2024.

Joshua also twice lost to Usyk but rebuilt well with four straight wins, however he is also coming off a loss. He failed in his attempt to become the IBF world champion when he fell at the fists of Daniel Dubois in their world title fight in September last year.

Speaking to FightLens, former world cruiserweight champion Bellew was asked to predict what would happen if the two Brits did square off.

“I’ve always said it and I’ll stick by it, I just think Anthony Joshua will be forced to let his hands go and he’ll knock out Tyson Fury. Do I think he’s the better fighter? No, but not always the better fighter wins.”

Many hope that Fury’s retirement move is simply a tactic to strengthen his hand for negotiations with Joshua, but as of now he remains retired.

Former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has dealt a significant blow to Anthony Joshua’s hopes of a blockbuster showdown after admitting he “can’t be f***ed” with boxing, casting further doubt on his potential return to the ring despite recent rankings speculation.

The 36-year-old “Gypsy King,” who announced his retirement in January following his second consecutive defeat to unified champion Oleksandr Usyk, appears content with life away from the sport according to his cousin and trainer Andy Lee.

“(It’s) just the odd message here and there and he seems very happy. (He said), ‘Andy I’m not f****d.’ That’s what he said. ‘I couldn’t be f****d with it.’

“He’s very happy. As bad as it sounds, it depends what the figure is for Tyson. It has to motivate him to come out of retirement. He seems very happy,” Lee told iFL TV.

Fury announced his retirement earlier this year but there were lingering hopes he would return to fight bitter rival Joshua at Wembley this summer

Tyson Fury has surprisingly returned to The Ring Magazine’s heavyweight rankings at the number one spot despite announcing his retirement from boxing last month, as speculation grows about a potential super-fight with Anthony Joshua, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The 36-year-old “Gypsy King” stunned the boxing world in January when he proclaimed his fifth retirement from the sport following his second consecutive defeat to unified champion Oleksandr Usyk, but The Ring’s latest rankings suggest the publication isn’t convinced by Fury’s decision to hang up his gloves.

Fury has been placed at the top of the heavyweight rankings behind only Usyk, who holds the WBC, WBA and WBO titles and is recognised as The Ring’s heavyweight champion. His inclusion puts him ahead of IBF champion Daniel Dubois and the resurgent Joseph Parker, who occupy the second and third spots respectively.

Meanwhile, Joshua has received a significant boost in the same rankings, climbing two places from seventh to fifth despite not having fought since his knockout defeat to Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September.

The British-Nigerian’s rise comes as a result of losses suffered by Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole on the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol II undercard in Saudi Arabia last weekend.

Fury had been removed from the list after his announced retirement but his latest presence in the rankings comes amid growing speculation about a potential comeback. Saudi boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh is keen to lure the former WBC champion back for a long-awaited showdown with Joshua.

Speaking to The Stomping Ground, Alalshikh revealed; “I want Tyson (next for Joshua). I spoke with him, but I don’t talk about boxing.

Anthony Joshua’s trainer, Ben Davison, has claimed that a heavyweight contest between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury is closer than we might think.

Speaking to Oddschecker, the 28-year-old trainer said the following when quizzed on whether we might finally see a meeting between two of the United Kingdom’s most popular and talented heavyweights.

“I think there’s more chance of it happening now than ever,” Davison said. “With the introduction of Riyadh Season and them having the relationship with both sides, bringing all the broadcasters together and everything else we’ve already mentioned. It’s the fight that boxing fans want to see.”

Davison has trained both Fury and Joshua, and when asked if he believes whether both men want the fight he was clear in his response.

“Yeah of course they would. It’s a legacy defining fight for them both. I always say, I think it’s crucial when you are coming through to have a dance partner and they’ve been each other’s dance partners for long enough now. I think it would have massive interest and it’s the one that everyone wants to see.”

Davison has also had his say on a potential rematch between heavyweight champions Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois. Usyk won their original meeting in 2023, but the bout was overshadowed by a low-blow called against Dubois.

“Yeah I do [think that Usyk wins the rematch], I don’t think Daniel [Dubois] has changed that much. I think he still has the same tendencies from their first fight, there is no shaming a loss to Usyk, obviously. He’s put his name down as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time, in my opinion. I think that the fight won’t look too different, if I’m being honest.”

Saudi Arabian boxing boss Turki Alalshikh is set to tempt Tyson Fury out of retirement with a lucrative offer for a blockbuster clash with Anthony Joshua, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Despite Fury’s announcement that he was hanging up his gloves following his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in December, Alalshikh, a key figure in organising major fights in the Middle East, believes the ‘Gypsy King’ could be lured back into the ring with the right financial package.

The potential super-fight, which has been years in the making but never materialised, would finally settle what many consider to be the greatest rivalry in modern British heavyweight boxing history.

Joshua has expressed interest in facing Fury, acknowledging the commercial appeal of such a showdown. “I feel like it’s the best fight. A fight against Fury will be commercially favourable and against a great man. So, I think it makes sense,” Joshua told mirror.co.uk.

However, when pressed further about the possibility, the British-Nigerian boxer remained cautious, stating, “I think it’s probably best to ask Eddie Hearn,” suggesting the final decision would depend on negotiations handled by his promoter.

Matchroom CEO Hearn recently confirmed Joshua’s interest in facing Fury despite the latter’s retirement announcement in January.

“We want to fight Tyson Fury but he’s retired at the moment. I hope he watched tonight and the hairs on his arms stood up a little bit. We could do something really special. Respect to him, if he doesn’t come back then good luck but if he could, there would be a lot of happy people,” Hearn told Sky Sports.

While Fury’s promoter Frank Warren insists that his fighter is “happily retired,” Top Rank COO Brad Jacobs shares Hearn’s belief that a Joshua fight could tempt Fury back into the ring.

“Nobody is in Tyson’s head, only himself, of course. I think an Anthony Joshua fight gets him out of retirement, if it’s the right situation and he feels right about it,” Jacobs told Sky Sports last week.

“I believe there is the potential for it. What happens, nobody knows. Tyson has done shocking things before, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he did it again,” Jacobs added.

Joshua, who suffered a knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last year, is reportedly eager to get back into the heavyweight title picture, with Hearn suggesting a rematch with IBF champion Dubois as an alternative option.

The likelihood of a Fury-Joshua fight happening depends on several factors, including negotiations, financial incentives, and Fury’s willingness to return to the ring. But with Alalshikh’s influence and deep pockets, coupled with the overwhelming demand from fans, the dream matchup between the two British heavyweights remains a distinct possibility.

Joshua’s career has experienced significant highs and lows, including losses to Usyk, Andy Ruiz Jr., and most recently Dubois. A fight against Fury, regardless of the outcome, would undoubtedly be the biggest in British boxing history and a defining moment for both fighters’ legacies.