Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury: What to Expect from the Battle of Britain Heavyweight Bout
For nearly ten years, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury have been circling each other in the heavyweight boxing scene. Both British fighters stand as two-time heavyweight champions and prominent figures in modern British sports. Joshua is 36, Fury is 37, and both have suffered two defeats each at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk. Their careers seem to be on a downward slope, yet their upcoming fights attract significant attention amid changes in the heavyweight division.
With Usyk vacating his titles, the major belts now belong to Daniel Dubois (WBO), Agit Kabayel (WBC), and Murat Gassiev (WBA), while the IBF title remains available. Fans expect neither Joshua nor Fury to chase these titles without first facing each other, given their status as the division's biggest names.
Upcoming Fights This Week
Neither Joshua nor Fury will face off immediately. Tyson Fury is scheduled to fight Mariusz Wach, a veteran former world title challenger, over 10 rounds in Thailand on July 24. The next day, Anthony Joshua headlines a fight in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia against Kristian Prenga, an Albanian known for his knockout power but with limited experience against high-level competition.
This match marks Joshua's first since a tragic car accident in December that resulted in the deaths of his team members Ina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. The incident happened during a family vacation in Nigeria following Joshua’s win over Jake Paul in Miami. Fury returned from retirement recently with a dominant points victory against Arslanbek Makhmudov in April at Wembley, after which he publicly challenged Joshua.
The Anticipated Clash: December 11
If both fighters succeed this week, they are set to meet on December 11 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Both have contracts with Saudi boxing figure Turki Alalshikh to make the bout happen, though some hurdles emerged. Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, insisted the fight must take place in the UK, while Alalshikh, involved with Dana White's Zuffa Boxing and UFC, hinted at a U.S. venue.
In the end, Hearn's preference prevailed, securing the fight in Wales. Fury, as the WBC’s top challenger to Kabayel, has a clearer path to a title than Joshua does. During media duties for his Wach fight, Fury expressed skepticism about Joshua’s willingness to confront him directly in press settings, describing Joshua as avoiding confrontation.
"I can never see that stiff [Joshua] sitting on a table with me like that fella there [Wach]. What the f— is he going to say? I can never actually see him at a press conference with me. It will just be like… a bombardment," Fury said.
Despite tensions, the fight date was agreed upon.
Have They Fought Before?
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury have never met professionally in the ring. Stories of a sparring session back in 2010 have added to the anticipation. Fury once admitted in an interview that the young amateur Joshua gave him a tough time, even suggesting he might have been knocked out if his chin had been weaker.
"He came out at me for three rounds and he gave me a beating - I’m not going to deny it, he gave me hell for leather for three rounds," Fury recalled.
Later, Fury revised his account, saying Joshua was pulled out after three rounds. Joshua’s amateur coach, Sean Murphy, confirmed the sparring details in 2021, noting Joshua landed strong shots, leaving Fury holding ropes and appearing unsteady, but Fury insisted on continuing before Murphy stopped it.
"Josh got the better of him in the third round," Murphy said. "Fury wanted a fourth round, but I pulled Joshua out."
Joshua himself referenced that sparring when exchanging words with Fury after Fury's win over Makhmudov.
"I've never had no problem getting in a ring with you," Joshua said. "I punched you up when we were kids and, after watching you tonight, I'll punch you up again."
