Anthony Joshua: Blockbuster Tyson Fury Fight “Needs To Happen”

Anthony Joshua has said a mega-fight for the undisputed world heavyweight title with fellow Briton Tyson Fury “needs to happen” to determine the division’s single dominant figure.

Joshua, 30, regained his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO titles with a unanimous decision victory over Andy Ruiz Jr in a December rematch in Saudi Arabia while Fury won the WBC title in Las Vegas two months ago with a seventh-round stoppage of Deontay Wilder.

No fighter has ever held all four main heavyweight titles.

“If you really want to say you’re number one, come fight me. Let’s get it on. I’ve got the rest of the belts so it only makes sense,” Joshua told Sky Sports, addressing fellow Briton Fury.

“I’m the unified heavyweight champion of the world, he’s the WBC champion. What it will prove, me and him fighting? There will be one dominant figure in the heavyweight division that will have all of the belts and become undisputed.

“Logically to prove yourself as number one, I have to fight Tyson Fury. He has to fight Anthony Joshua.”

A potential reunification bout between both men will be fraught with difficulties as they both have contracts in place to face other opponents next.

Joshua was scheduled to face mandatory IBF challenger Kubrat Pulev on 20 June but the contest was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Similarly, the proposed third fight between American Wilder and Fury was originally was pushed back from July 18 to a likely date in October due to the virus which has shut down sport globally.

“It would be amazing to tell Pulev ‘I think it’s best if you step aside for now’ and to tell Wilder ‘we have bigger fish to fry’,” Joshua added.
“That fight (with Fury) needs to happen because there will never be another time like this again.”