Fury insists on multi-million dollars Joshua bout

Daniel Dubois’ upset win against Anthony Joshua on Saturday has not only foiled his rival’s big-fight plans but also shaken up the entire division, the BBC reported, yesterday.

Joshua was expected to battle with Tyson Fury in a fight worth over £50 million for each of the fighters, but AJ’s loss seem to have scuttled the plans.

There is only one world title fight that we know for sure is happening – Usyk-Fury 2 in Saudi Arabia on 21 December.The fight holds the key to the future of the division.
 
Fury is out for revenge, his legacy hinging on whether he can come back and beat Oleksandr Usyk. But Usyk, with a win, could convincingly cement his place as this era’s best heavyweight.

Victory for Fury might trigger a third and deciding fight. Could that mean a belt would be vacated like Usyk gave up the IBF title after the undisputed fight in May?

None of the other leading heavyweights have fights scheduled. Joseph Parker, Dubois, and Joshua will wait to see what happens in December before making a decision.

No mandatory challenger is waiting in the wings after Usyk vacated the IBF belt. The answers to what might happen next will come from the negotiations and jockeying for position among this group, but probably not until after Fury and Usyk fight.

Team Dubois says that the 27-year-old heavyweight will take the rest of the year off after four fights in 13 months. A second fight with AJ is on the cards, although there is no automatic rematch clause available to Joshua as previously thought.

Dubois’ preferred fight would be a rematch against Usyk after a dramatic defeat in Poland last year. He will be hopeful his claim to fight the Usyk-Fury winner will be strong, whatever the outcome.
 
Promoter Frank Warren says that he is happy to match Dubois with Usyk even if the Ukrainian loses. There is also the possibility of a fight with Parker, who is the other current top contender in the division.

Should Fury win, it could mean a third and deciding fight for him against Usyk or a mouth-watering all-British undisputed fight with Dubois. Joshua faces a crossroads in his career. But his case to go into a big fight right away is still strong. He just sold out Wembley, alongside Dubois, with over 95,000 in attendance.

While Dubois may be eyeing the winner of Usyk-Fury, Joshua could target the loser. Should Fury suffer another defeat it may well be time for the long-awaited fight.

Despite the prospect of Fury-Joshua appearing to slip away yet again on Saturday, at ringside there was another perspective. A flabbergasted Fury said: “That’s cost me £150m” as the fight was waved off. He was speaking to his manager, Spencer Brown, who tellingly replied: “No, you’re still fighting him.”
So, it appears that the fight, which still has huge appeal, could yet go ahead. Joshua has one more fight on his deal with Riyadh Season that he will be expected to honor.

It means Joshua will fight again, but we won’t know exactly who he will face – a big name or easier comeback opponent – until Usyk-Fury 2 has happened.
As the dust settles on a dramatic event, one thing is clear: a new era is fast approaching.

Dubois is the only top-ranked heavyweight in his 20s. Fury, 36, has toyed with retiring but returned to the ring. Wilder is 38, and on a two-fight losing streak, while Joshua is 34 and facing another comeback.

Usyk’s future continues to be the subject of speculation. He is the best, and oldest, of the current champions at 37. Among other top contenders, Zhilei Zhang is 41. Parker is 32.

Whatever happens in 2025, despite the seemingly endless permutations, Dubois represents the future of the division, while Joshua seems to belong to the previous era.

If Dubois is to continue headlining stadium fights, bringing in million-pound paydays and entertaining legions of fans, he needs his own contemporaries beyond Joshua, Usyk and Fury. And they are yet to emerge.