Tyson Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, has revealed his team are working hard to try and get a contract signed that will see the Gypsy King take on Anthony Joshua in an all-British heavyweight showdown (Fury 2/7, Joshua 5/2, Draw 20/1 – Bout Winner).
Fury had set a deadline of 5pm on Monday for Joshua to sign the contract for the bout on December 3, but that ultimatum was not met and the reigning WBC champion responded on social media by saying the fight was off.
“Well guys, it’s official. D-day has come and gone. It’s gone past five o’clock, Monday. No contract has been signed,” Fury said on Instagram. “It’s officially over for Joshua. He is now out in the cold with the wolfpack.
“Forget about it. Always knew you didn’t have the minerals to fight the ‘Gypsy king’. Regardless of what you say now, I don’t really care. Good luck with your career, and your life. End of. Peace out.”
It may seem like there is no chance of reviving a deal after that Fury response, but his promoter, Warren, has suggested there is still a chance a contract can be agreed and the fight scheduled.
“We’re not that far away from December 3. We’ve got to get it up on sale. The venue’s booked but there’s a lot of organisation involved,” he said. “We’re working very hard to get it over the line. Tyson has told me what he wants.
“They’ve had the contract for 10 days and he’s lost patience with it. We’re trying to make it work. We’re waiting for the contract to come back.”
The boxing world will be hopeful a resolution can be found and this all-British contest will still happen, although Fury has said he will still fight on December 3 against another opponent if AJ talks fall through.
A unification fight with Oleksandr Usyk is one potential option for the Gypsy King, though the problem with that is Joe Joyce is now the mandatory challenger for the Ukrainian’s belts after his victory over Joseph Parker on Saturday (Fury 4/9, Usyk 7/4, Draw 16/1 – Bout Winner).
That would delay a potential meeting between Usyk and Fury, who has not been afraid to retire from the sport before deciding to reverse his decision and step back into the ring.
