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Anthony Joshua wants Tyson Fury super fight in UK and not Saudi Arabia should he beat Deontay Wilder

Joshua will be forced to meet his mandatory obligations before eventually pushing for an undisputed fight with the winner of Wilder vs Fury 2

Wednesday 12 February 2020 09:19 GMT

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Tyson Fury says 'not a bother' to beat Deontay Wilder

Anthony Joshua wants a potential undisputed super fight with Tyson Fury to take place in the UK despite the greater financial reward on offer in Saudi Arabia.

After Joshua reclaimed three of the world heavyweight titles in the Kingdom last year, promoter Eddie Hearn revealed there have already been talks about the prospect of staging the all-British fight there for an exorbitant £150 million.

Fury would need to come through his fight with WBC king Deontay Wilder in their rematch next week, as well as thrash out terms to avoid a third fight with the American, as is stipulated for both fighters, no matter the outcome in Las Vegas a week on Saturday.

But should Fury eventually prevail and emerge from his compelling chapter with the Bronze Bomber, Joshua wants the decider to be on home soil.

“I think it has to be in the UK, to be fair, but I would never let a location get in the way of a mega fight,” Joshua told The Sun.

Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings

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1/16Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings

Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings

Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings

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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings

15. Oscar Rivas, Colombia

Amid all the fallout of Dillian Whyte’s issue with UKAD, Oscar Rivas’ success in their bout last summer is easily overlooked. He staggered the Briton in the ninth round, was relentless coming forwards, and only lost by a narrow points decision on away soil. There are flaws suggesting he can be easily outboxed, though, with his victory against Bryant Jennings coming in the 12th round when trailing significantly on the scorecards. Beyond that, his resume is far from impressive. But against an opponent who can’t sustain a jab and move style, the Colombian remains very dangerous (TK).

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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings

14. Alexander Povetkin, Russia

Close to a world title shot in 2016, Povetkin was due to face Deontay Wilder for his WBC crown but later tested positive for banned substances. The Russian is in the closing stages of his career and put in a performance just about good enough to gift him victory against Hughie Fury, while he looked slow and lethargic against Michael Hunter recently. The opportunities of more world title shots are still realistic but will need to come inside the next year or two for Povetkin to stand any real chance of victory. A good career packed full of wins and a knockout of David Price which will live long in the memory of boxing fans

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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings

13. Adam Kownacki, Poland

‘Babyface’ is one to watch in 2020, with Al Haymon guiding his career. Kownacki was always mentioned as a potential opponent for Deontay Wilder – also managed by Haymon. Kownacki’s standout performance was against the admittedly limited Chris Arreola, who notably threw a CompuBox record 1125 punches in the points win. Durable and able to crack, Kownacki is in an excellent position to emerge as a contender in the near future (JR).

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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings

12. Jarrell Miller, USA

Before ‘Big Baby’ threw the toys out the pram after failing a drugs test and costing himself a world title shot, Miller was rising up through the heavyweight ranks with an undefeated record of 23 wins and one draw. Sure, it’s a record that does not feature a single standout name, but the Miller we last saw was proving to be one of the better contenders among the division’s also-rans. How much was that down to the juice? Well, we’ll see once he finally returns to the ring (JDM).

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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings

11. Michael Hunter, USA

Hunter: A fantastic amateur-turned-professional, Michael Hunter just misses out on the top 10 but is starting to make a name for himself in the division. Just one defeat by Oleksandr Usyk in the cruiserweight division, Hunter is now making a case for a world title shot next year. A stellar performance led to a controversial draw against Alexander Povetkin on the undercard of Ruiz vs Joshua II, a fight many neutrals had Hunter winning. At just 6'2 he could struggle against the biggest boys in the heavyweight division but is begnning to look every bit like he could be a regular at the top.

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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings

10. Filip Hrgovic, Croatia

The Croatian is a rising star in the heavyweight division and his presence inside the top 10 will raise eyebrows. But after dispatching Eric Molina in quick time, El Animal will be hovering on the brink of earning a world title shot throughout 2020. His athleticism and towering frame mean he ticks the requisite boxes to be a test for anybody; the volume of shots is impressive and the chopping hooks, whipped in from unorthodox angles (for a heavyweight) will make him a problem in the coming years (JR).

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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings

9. Kubrat Pulev, Bulgaria

The Bulgarian was embroiled in a controversial episode earlier this year with a female broadcaster, but now, under Bob Arum, Pulev appears primed to get his shot at a world title again as the IBF mandatory. His hopes of pulling off an upset, should Joshua decide to fulfil his mandatory, appear remote, given he was struggling to distinguish himself against Bogdan Dinu before a 7th round knockout, which was followed up by a pedestrian points decision over little-known Rydell Booker. The only other notable performance in recent years was his clear-cut decision over Hughie Fury. Will not be an opponent most will be desperate to watch against the champions.

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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings

8. Joseph Parker, New Zealand

The former WBO heavyweight champion made two successful defences of his title before losing it to Anthony Joshua by unanimous decision a year and a half ago. At just 27 he has yet to reach his peak and really find his feet in the division, but already has a solid resume and originally won the belt in a close decision victory over Andy Ruiz Jr. His punch selection is excellent but when it has come to the big fights, those against Joshua and Dillian Whyte, Parker has come up just short and failed to let his hands go - but always given a good account of himself. Now partnered with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing, Parker has got himself back to winning ways and will look to rise up the division once again (AH).

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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings

7. Luis Ortiz, Cuba

It’s hard to know what Luis Ortiz has left in the tank at this point. He came within seconds of victory in his first fight against Deontay Wilder, and won almost every second before being stopped by a single punch in their rematch last month. That second loss may turn out to be a final swansong and payday for the Cuban veteran, sapping away any motivation to step down the rungs again. Nevertheless, if he's willing to persevere, the southpaw is as technically complete as any heavyweight and still one of the division’s hardest punchers.

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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings

6. Andy Ruiz Jr, USA

Andy Ruiz: The ‘Destroyer’ was anything but in his rematch with Joshua, which was a huge shame as he looked to have transformed the ‘big three’ into a quartet. But the way that he did for Joshua in their first bout should act as a firm reminder of what Ruiz can do if he applies himself in training, and with some of the fastest hands in the division and the power to back it up, he remains a dangerous opponent who may just have had the wake-up call he needed to take the next step up (JDM).

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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings

5. Oleksandr Usyk, Ukraine

There is very little evidence so far in his heavyweight journey after a debut against fodder in the form of Chazz Witherspoon. The polished skills of Usyk would be a nightmare for both Wilder and Joshua, though their hulking power may ultimately prove decisive - we must see how Usyk takes a shot against a powerful heavyweight. How Usyk deals with the length of Fury remains a mystery too; at his best the Gypsy King could set up a wall between himself and the Ukrainian in the form of his jab, so let's see how Usyk gets on during the infancy of his spell at heavyweight before crowning him (JR).

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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings

4. Dillian Whyte, UK

With just the one loss to Anthony Joshua on his record and a string of 11 straight victories behind him, Whyte is hammering at the door for a world title shot and has been dodged by the ‘big three’ for the last two years. The ‘Body Snatcher’ has demonstrated frightening knockout power against Lucas Browne and Dereck Chisora as well as an ability to grind out the wins too, and though he is yet to reach to the very top of the division, he’s about as close as you can get before reaching it (JDM).

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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings

3. Deontay Wilder, USA

Stunned by Fury in seven brutal rounds, the American bully was bullied by Tyson Fury, does he dare activate the rematch clause for a trilogy? We'll soon find out.

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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings

2. Anthony Joshua, UK - WBA, IBF and WBO champion

Back on track with the smartest victory of his career to regain the WBA, IBF and WBO titles from Andy Ruiz, Joshua can once again look for the fights that will come to define him. Each man in the top three of the division has their own strengths that could see them beat the two others, and for Joshua it is his power blended with an imposing style and the ability to vary his gameplan that he believes will see him come out on top. Whether he will remains to be seen, but the Watford native is back on the right path to see if he can go on and join the greats.

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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings

1. Tyson Fury, UK - WBC champion

True to his word, he dismantled Deontay Wilder in seven rounds in a way very few truly believed possible. Heavier and more aggressive than ever, the clear No 1 in the division and now a nightmare for Anthony Joshua should they ever fight with the Kronk influence

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“The reason I always said I wanted Fury to win that fight is so we could put our fight on here but if he wants to do it in America then it makes sense for Wilder to win and then we do that fight there.

“It makes more sense to have a Brit versus an American, in America, than a Brit versus a Brit over there.

“If Fury wants to fight me in Vegas then we would have to talk about that. For me, personally, it makes more sense to have that in London or Manchester.”

Fury was not enamoured by Joshua’s display against Andy Ruiz Jr last year, describing it as “double s***” compared to his own style of boxing and moving, rather than engaging regularly.

It remains to be seen whether Fury will follow through with his own plans to ironically switch up his style to closer resemble the fighter Joshua has mostly been throughout his career.

Joshua wants the Fury fight to be in the UK (Action)

“I’m looking for the knockout. It’s clear I won’t get a decision in the United States,” Fury recently claimed. “That’s why I’ve employed the Kronk trainer who specialises in sitting down on the right hand. Look at all the Kronk fighters, Wladimir Klitschko even, they look for the big right hand. I’m looking for the big right hand to nail Wilder. Goodnight. I’m looking for the knockout. If I wasn’t, I would have kept Ben Davison. I’m sick of points decisions, I’ve had plenty, but I’m looking to knock him out.

“I’m not looking for herky-jerky. I want him to meet me dead-centre of the ring, let’s have a slug-fest. Best man stands, loser goes down. I’ve got 20 knockouts in 29 wins. He knows he was rocked two or three times in the first fight but I never had the gas to finish him.

“I want to meet him mano a mano. I won’t run. You won’t have to look for me. You’re going down in two rounds. Two! He’s getting knocked out in two rounds. Laugh about it now but when you’re on your back, looking up at me?

“If I’m stupid enough to get hit by that stupid right hand then I deserve to get knocked out. He knows he’s not messing with a quitter. To beat Tyson Fury you have to nail him to the canvas and if he can’t do that, I’ll eat him up. The consensus is that either he knocks me out, or I win on points. Usually when people have that opinion it goes the other way around.”

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