Because he is still plagued by the loss of a single Great British boxing match, Tyson Fury is determined to prevent Anthony Joshua from having the same fate.
The two heavyweight boxing icons have been circling each other for years, but they haven’t yet shared the ring.
Tyson Fury is refusing to give up on fighting Anthony Joshua.
Joshua after losing to Daniel Dubois.
Fury went through a similar experience when he was lined up to fight Northern rival David Price over a decade ago.
But that mammoth match up fell by the wayside – so Fury will not let lightening strike twice when it comes to fighting AJ.
He said on TNT Sports: “At the end of the day, it would be a travesty if we didn’t fight.
“No matter if he loses 20 more fights, if he doesn’t win another fight and he has 10 years away from the game, it doesn’t matter.
“We must battle. In a recent interview, I stated, “Look, we’re going to have to fight whether we’re 50 years old or not.”
“I have already lost a significant struggle to David Price; at one point, he was a British hope, and it was really building up.
“That brawl would have been epic in Manchester or Liverpool, but it’s over now. Furthermore, it would be absurd if we didn’t fight.
With a double header – from Saudi Arabia to London – being put together behind the scenes, Fury, 36, appeared to be headed to fight Joshua, 34, in the next year.
However, after losing to 27-year-old Daniel Dubois in the last round at Wembley Stadium, AJ appears to have blown it.
In the meantime, Fury, who lost the undisputed title in May, is back in training for his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, 37, on December 21.
He said: “I’m ready to rock and roll. I don’t need a 12-week camp. I’ve been boxing all my life.
“I’m ready to go tonight, tomorrow, next weekend. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, it doesn’t really matter.
“I can come in the ring at 30 stone and do 15 rounds. I’m a natural at it, do you know what I mean?
“All I need is five or six weeks sparring, good sparring this time.”
Oleksandr Usyk and Fury rematch on December 21.
