As previously reported on BoxingScene.com, Tyson Fury taunted Anthony Joshua on Monday by insisting he could beat the world heavyweight champion with "one arm tied behind my back".
Shortly after his thrilling 11th-round stoppage of Wladimir Klitschko at London's Wembley on Saturday, Joshua 'called out' fellow British heavyweight Fury by saying: "Fury, where are you at, baby?"
While Joshua and Ukrainian veteran Klitschko retained a respectful tone towards one another both before and after their epic fight, the same cannot be said of Joshua's relationship with Fury which has been marked by a series of back-and-forth taunts.
Fury dramatically beat Klitschko on points in a world title fight in November 2015 and once held the International Boxing Federation (IBF), International Boxing Organization (IBO) and World Boxing Association (WBA) belts now held by Joshua.
But he hasn't boxed since, with mental health problems forcing him to relinquish his titles, while his licence to box was subsequently suspended by the British Boxing Board of Control.
Fury, however, could have his licence returned at a hearing next week and if Klitschko does not want a re-match with Joshua or terms for one cannot be agreed, the momentum behind an all-British clash for the world heavyweight title could prove hard to stop.
"Styles do make fights but I am sure I can beat AJ (Joshua) with one arm tied behind my back," Fury said in a Sky Sports interview from his training base in Marbella, on Spain's south coast.
"I have been out of the ring as long as Klitschko but the difference is, I am not 41, I am 28. There's only one fight out there, the biggest fight in the world and everyone knows that. It is the heavyweights, it is me and AJ, no one else. I am here, I am the lineal champion, I am still number one in the world and everybody knows that."
According to Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport, a fight with Fury is not even close to happening this year.
Fury is still very overweight, his mental state has to be evaluated by a doctor, he lost his license to box with the British Board of Control and there is still an outstanding issues with drug testing agency UKAD, who claim the fighter tested positive for a banned substance in early 2015.
"We are desperate for that fight because AJ thinks he wins comfortably, it is a great fight and it is the biggest fight out there," Hearn said to Talk Sport. "But we can only concentrate on AJ's career and guiding him.
“He [Fury] is miles away from fighting. He is in a terrible physical way at the moment. He doesn’t have a licence, he needs to go back to the board, and he is under investigation for a failed [doping] test.
"There is no one that wants to see him back more than me, but it is miles away. He is not the next fight because he won’t be ready in time."
