Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua: The fight that was on, off and now on again

A fight between the two rivals looks closer than it has ever been, but there remains a long way to go in a business where dealings regularly trump desires and dreams

In August of 2021, we were all going to Saudi Arabia for Tyson Fury against Anthony Joshua. Then it was called off.

Today we are all hoping that we are going to Cardiff at some point in December for the latest proposed meeting between Fury and Joshua. That could change tonight, it could change in the morning. It might even become fact. I doubt it.

Welcome to the wild world of boxing promoting and dreams, which is a twilight zone of hype, hope, prayers, lies and excesses. According to everybody the split in purse has been agreed and that in the boxing business is a very good start. But, it is only a start.

This fight has a wonderful history.

This fight was first announced with utter confidence by Fury in June of 2020; it was the perfect blockbuster to lift the pandemic blues. That bubble burst quick.

Last year there were contracts, agreements and a date all in place before it was discovered that Deontay Wilder had the right to a third fight with Fury. So, Fury and Joshua was scrapped and within hours they had alternative opponents.

Frank Warren, one of Fury’s promoters, tried to keep the negotiations going as the fight collapsed. He believed it could somehow be salvaged, but he was on his own; Eddie Hearn, for Joshua, pushed on with a fight against Kubrat Pulev, and Bob Arum, for Fury, set in place the third Wilder fight. Warren kept the faith and he has been driving this latest mayhem.

Fury last fought in April when he beat Dillian Whyte in front of 95,000 at Wembley. He retired in the ring. Nobody believed him. He unretired later that night and challenged Francis Ngannou, the champion from the UFC. That carnival vanished and Fury retired again.

And then the fun really started. The giant Thor was mentioned and dismissed. There was talk of a $20m “circus” fight. In the early summer, Arum talked about Joe Joyce at Wembley in October. No chance of that. Then Fury burst out of retirement to fight Dereck Chisora and for about three days that was on. Then it was off and Fury retired again. That was about four weeks ago. Fury swore he was quitting boxing forever.

Joshua, meanwhile, was preparing for the fight of his life in a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk last month in Saudi Arabia. He lost and at midnight, as Joshua struggled with back-to-back defeats, Fury challenged both “dossers” to a fight on the same night. Steady on, son.

A few days after the Arabian dust had settled, there was bold talk of Usyk and Fury happening. They both agreed to a fight, but that is only a primitive guide in the boxing world. Usyk has an injury, that fight went and then Fury challenged Joshua. And Joshua accepted at the start of this week. It was all moving fast, too fast.

On Tuesday, Fury offered Joshua a 60-40 split and according to Hearn, that was accepted by Joshua. It was known that Fury’s British promoter, Warren, had the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff booked for 17 December. That date has been mentioned again and right now everybody involved is looking at all other dates and figures and all the potential variables. This fight is still a long, long way from taking place.

There is, however, just a chance that it is closer now than it has ever been. I believe that both fighters want it, but again, that means very little in the boxing world where cold business dealings cancel desires and dreams.

Fury and Joshua is certainly back on the agenda for talks and there is a hope that something can be put in place. Hope and talks are just part of the deception in the old, old business of boxing.