While other routes remain open, including a title fight against the winner of Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois or a third fight with Oleksandr Usyk, Fury’s comments point in one direction. He’s chasing Joshua, not another belt.
“Obviously, if it’s a fight that needs to be made, let’s get it done. Let me get Makhmudov out of the way, and we’re on,” Fury told Sky Sports Boxing.
The shift becomes clearer when he weighs that option against title opportunities. Fury has already held every major belt during his career, and the motivation to repeat that run appears to be lower than the odds of settling the Joshua rivalry.
“But being a five-time world champion. I’ll take the chance to knock AJ out,” Tyson said.
This comment runs counter to the usual priorities in boxing, where fighters typically build toward titles as the central goal. Fury describes something else.
For Fury, the Joshua fight comes first. He also suggested the fight is still the biggest draw in the sport, despite years of delays and missed opportunities to make it earlier.
“The biggest fight for me in world boxing and the biggest fight in the world of boxing is me against AJ,” Fury said. “Even today, even after all these years, it’s still the biggest fight in boxing.”
Anthony recently returned to training after a difficult period outside the ring, and Fury acknowledged this while giving him space. At the same time, he showed little concern about Joshua working with Oleksandr Usyk, dismissing any advantage a potential fight could present.
For Tyson (37), the path is simple. Handle Makhmudov, then move right into the fight that defined the heavyweight division without ever being made.
At this point, he sounds less interested in adding another title than finally getting Joshua in the ring.
