“Tyson Fury needs a dance partner to sell out. Anthony Joshua can fight the bowler and sell out. That’s just what he does. That’s just where he goes,” Bellew told The Stomping Ground.
Bellew’s point was that Joshua’s appeal moved beyond the identity of the opponent. In his opinion, fans will continue to turn out in large numbers because Joshua has become an attraction in his own right.
The “bin man” comment is Bellew’s hyperbole, but it highlights the difference in how the two are currently perceived. Joshua has spent the past year rebuilding his image, even through personal tragedy, while Fury’s recent run has felt a bit like a repetitive loop to many viewers.
After the 16-month layoff and those two losses to Oleksandr Usyk, many expected Fury to take a real test to prove he still belongs at the top. Instead, he took the Arslanbek Makhmudov fight on April 11. While Arslanbek is a heavy hitter, he looked completely outmatched and one-dimensional. Fury basically used him as a moving heavy bag for 12 rounds.
The lean and split has become Fury’s defensive strategy as he ages. It’s effective at neutralizing power, but it lacks the explosive dynamic that Joshua has shown in his recent wins, such as the Jake Paul knockout.
Fury’s multiple exits and long stretches away from the ring have made it difficult for him to maintain the same commercial rhythm that AJ has maintained by remaining visible even when not holding the belts.
“Anybody.”
That was Bellew’s response when asked who Joshua could sell out against, confirming the claim that the former unified heavyweight champion can still draw huge crowds with almost any opponent.
With talk of Fury-Joshua resurgent, the battle over who is the biggest draw could continue long before the opening bell ever rings.
Bellew is not wrong about the name value. If Joshua were to fight a domestic middleweight contender in July, he would likely still sell out a stadium. Fury, on the other hand, seems to need the antagonist or a high-stakes narrative to move the needle in the same way.
The danger for Fury is that if he continues to have fights like the Makhmudov one and rely on the same maiming tactics, the public may lose interest in the “Battle of Britain” before it even happens in November.
