Anthony Joshua apparently won’t factor into Tyson Fury’s plans for 2023. But the latter’s promoter would be more than happy to match the former heavyweight champion with two of Britain’s top contenders.
Queensberry Promotions head Frank Warren recently poured water over a potential fight between London’s Joshua and Manchester’s Fury for 2023. The two were in deep talks to fight each other in December but they were unable to strike a deal.
Warren believes Joshua’s team, led by his promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, were never serious about fighting, noting that the whole affair left Fury a bit embittered. In addition, Warren said, the fact that Joshua has been looking for a new trainer for the past few months is another example why he never truly intended to fight Fury. Joshua was spotted recently in the United States working out with the likes of Virgil Hunter and Derrick James. Joshua enlisted Robert Garcia ahead of his heavyweight unification rematch with WBO, WBA, IBF champion Oleksandr Usyk in August but that partnership does not seem likely to continue.
“He never had a trainer, so how was he ever going to do the fight?” Warren told SecondsOut.com. “He never had a trainer. He obviously is hunting for a trainer. He may have found one, I have no idea.
“I really don’t care to be honest. We got our plan for next year.”
Fury, the WBC titlist, is now headed toward an imminent showdown with Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship. The two are projected to fight in March, most likely somewhere in the Middle East.
Given everything that has gone on, Warren does not foresee Fury revisiting the Joshua fight next year. But that is not to say that Warren himself would not be interested in pitting his heavyweight charges Joe Joyce or Daniel Dubois against Joshua.
“The obvious question is he (Joshua) going to figure in it (Fury's plans),” Warren said. “That I can’t really …I can’t really see him figuring [in our plans]. Tyson’s [busy] in his next couple of fights, that’s for sure. Tyson’s a bit pissed off what went on in the time we wasted.
“So, we are where we are with that. But if [Joshua] wants to fight Joe Joyce or Daniel Dubois we’ll do those in a heartbeat.”
