Tyson Fury unsure of Anthony Joshua fight, Dillian Whyte an option in 2021
- Joe Hewlett
- 7 July 2021
A fight with Anthony Joshua may not be next, according to WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
The pair were expected to collide on August 14 in Saudi Arabia, only for a court ruling to block the first all-British unification at heavyweight.
Instead, Fury will return for the first time since February 2020 and collide with Deontay Wilder for a third time.
The "Gypsy King" makes his first world title defence against the American on July 24 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Joshua is expected to face WBO mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk in September and should both come through their respective fights, negotiations about an undisputed showdown will reopen.
Either way, Fury wants to fight twice this year and with Joshua not a guarantee to beat Usyk, he may look elsewhere.
It opens the door for Dillian Whyte, who is ranked No.1 in the WBC rankings after avenging his defeat to Alexander Povetkin.
"One thing I will say is though - if I now get through this fight injury free and get the victory, I'll be looking to fight again this year, for sure, Fury told Gareth A. Davies.
"100%, no matter who it is. If I get through Wilder then we'll see who's available after that and who's out there.
"I might take a voluntary defence. Look at the people I've had to fight in my last couple of fights.
"I was Wilder's mandatory. So we'll see if I can get a keep-busy fight in between."
Joshua has suggested Fury is afraid of fighting him, something which the two-time Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year laughed off.
"I'm absolutely quaking in my boots, for the big bodybuilder. I'm s***ing myself because them muscles are terrifying," Fury said.
"Listen, at the end of the day I've never avoided anybody in my career.
"Wilder's the most dangerous fighter on this planet. I'm giving this fighter - the most dangerous puncher in the history of our sport - three chances in a row to beat me.
"That takes a lot of balls to do that.
"Three opportunities: playing with fire, playing with an atomic bomb. It's very risky business to say the least.
"You've got one man who's quick as lightning, who can knock you out with one punch.
"And you've got one guy who doesn't have a great engine, that gasses out after three or four punches. He looks good, but looks can be deceiving.
"If it was about looks, I wouldn't be heavyweight champion of the world, would I? Definitely not, I'd be a road sweeper."
"They're all gonna get their opportunity to fight the Gypsy King"
"All these fighters are gonna get their chance.
"They're all gonna get their five minutes of fame in the sunshine and they're all gonna get their opportunity to fight the 'Gypsy King'.
"Whoever's out there who's a good name will always get their chance at the end of the day.
"You've got the Wilders of the world, the Joshuas of the world.
"You've got Usyk, you've got Dillian Whyte, you've got Andy Ruiz, Joseph Parker. Who else? Luis Ortiz, can't write him off.
"Big Charles Martin's making a comeback, there's so many big fights out there to fight, there's a lot of people all gunning to get a shot at a title of some sort."
