The oft-discussed undisputed heavyweight championship showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua still doesn’t have a firm date or location.

What it does boast, however, is plenty of sportsbook action.

Fury (30-0-1, 21KOs) has been installed at close to a 2-to-1 betting favorite over his countryman for the colossal all-British heavyweight showdown, which has been signed off by all involved parties as part of a reported two-fight deal. More so, gambling aggregate website OddsChecker.com has reported that 81% of the action has already been placed on Fury since the two-fight deal was announced.

The unbeaten lineal champion from Manchester, England is listed at -188 by bet365 to prevail in the first fight, with Joshua listed as a +138 underdog. BetOnline.ag has odds placed at -190 for Fury and +165 for Joshua (24-1, 22KOs), a 2012 Olympic Gold medalist and two-time unified heavyweight titlist from Watford, England.

There is a theory that Joshua is being underestimated in this matchup. His June 2019 knockout loss to Andy Ruiz continues to resonate with boxing fans, perhaps more so than his lopsided unanimous decision win in their celebrated rematch six months later.

Nevertheless, punters are confident in Fury taking care of business in the biggest heavyweight in the history of British boxing.

“Tyson Fury has seen a massive spike in bets placed on him since the two-fight deal has been announced,” Kyle Newman, spokesperson for OddsChecker.com told BoxingScene.com. “Since the start of the year, 53% of bets had been placed on him to defeat Anthony Joshua. That’s jumped to 81%.”

Fury has not fought since his 7th round stoppage win over Deontay Wilder in their rematch last February, collecting the WBC heavyweight belt and regaining the lineal championship in the process.

Efforts to get the hulking Brit back in the ring last December were thwarted due to a number reasons, including an inability to secure his purse demands along with an ongoing legal case with Wilder surrounding the terms of their contractually agreed upon third fight. The matter is still under review by a mediator, though details of the case remain suppressed along with a gag order in place.

Joshua has fought just once since regaining his belts from Ruiz. It came in a 9th round knockout of two-time title challenger Kubrat Pulev last December at Wembley’s SSE Arena in London. Still, he remains the underdog in the eyes of the oddsmakers and, thus far, with the betting public.

“It seems like Joshua is losing support from bettors and sportsbooks alike by the day,” noted Newman. “Joshua has won his last two fights though, so maybe he’s back to himself. There are few better in the ring than Joshua when he’s at his best. If he comes in at the top of his game, it’s going to be a war in the ring.”

All sportsbooks placing odds on the event carry the stipulation that the first fight must take place within the 2021 calendar year in order for all active belts to remain valid.  

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox