ANTHONY JOSHUA says his two-fight £500million Tyson Fury rivalry HAS to happen this year.
When the 35-year-old Watford legend was stunned by a Daniel Dubois knockout at Wembley in September, the ringside Gypsy King roared “that’s cost me £150million, the silly c***.”
Anthony Joshua says he has to fight Tyson Fury in 2025[/caption]
Fury is coming off two defeats to Oleksandr Usyk[/caption]
But the 36-year-old Morecambe giant has just been schooled by Oleksandr Usyk for a second time, leaving the two Brits free to settle their 15-year-old derby for crazy cash.
It started with a 2010 sparring session – when AJ was an unknown and Fury offered his Rolex to anyone who could floor him – and only verbal blows have been swapped since.
But it remains the biggest fight in British boxing history, most likely to happen over two legs in Saudi Arabia and London, with the winner crowned the finest English heavyweight of his era and the world’s second best behind the Ukraine genius who did the double over both.
On a trip to Nigeria where his parents were born and he briefly attending a boarding school, Joshua told Sportsboom: “I’ve been involved in a whole lot of fights, but this has to happen in 2025.
“Of course, it has to happen, and hopefully, it does happen.”
Since winning the Olympic gold medal at London 2012 , Joshua has been a leading light in trying to raise the sport’s profile in Britain.
During the pandemic lockdown, when the Government turned its back on the dying gyms all over the country, Joshua propped them up out of his pocket.
Retired fighter Kevin Mitchell revealed in October that AJ discreetly paid for his brother Vinny’s 2019 funeral
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And Joshua’s Clean Herts programme helps youngsters around Hertfordshire avoid slipping through societal cracks.
The UK has benefitted massively from Joshua for over a decade and he hopes to offer Nigeria similar help once he hangs up his golden gloves.
He explained : “When I retire, I can probably think of setting up an academy in Nigeria.
“And if anyone wants to turn professional, we can also help them.”
Fury was coy on his future after all three Riyadh judges had him coming up short 116-112.
But Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn advised him to snap up the Joshua clash while the going is still good.
The Essex salesman said: “The reality is there’s only one fight for Tyson Fury and that’s Anthony Joshua.
“It’s the biggest fight in the history of British boxing and everyone will want to see it.
“That wasn’t a Tyson Fury who looked finished. It wasn’t a flat performances, it wasn’t a poor performance. He didn’t look gun shy or like his punch resistance was in question.
“Tyson Fury is still potentially at the peak of his powers, just not good enough to beat Oleksandr Usyk.
“For me AJ against Fury is the one. One at Wembley and then back out here for Riyadh season. I will be pushing his excellency (Saudi Arabia’s boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh) to make the fight.”
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