By: Sean Crose
They’ve both lost to Oleksandr Usyk on two occasions. What’s more, there is little demand for either man to face the dominant Usyk again. There was a time, though, very recently in fact, when former heavyweight titlists Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury were considered the two top fighters in their division. All that was left for the two towering Englishman was to face off in the ring to prove to the world who was the true king of the big men. Then along came Usyk. The Ukrainian decisioned Joshua, then decisioned him again. He then defeated Fury for the undisputed heavyweight crown, then defeated him again this past December.
What’s all this mean? That these two talented and accomplished fighters, Joshua and Fury, aren’t going to meet for heavyweight supremacy, as they were expected to. That doesn’t mean Joshua and Fury can’t throw down in the ring, however. Even if both men are showing signs of ring decline – such things happen when one has the rugged resumes these two do – a Joshua-Fury match would be must-see boxing. This would be especially true if the fight landed in England. And why wouldn’t it? These are two Brits, after all, and two very popular Brits, at that.
Tall and statuesque, Joshua LOOKS like one would expect a heavyweight fighter to. He’s also an excellent fighter – a hard punching experienced dynamo who also has the ability to adapt to a given situation. Fury, too, can employ a number of ring styles while in the heat of combat. He’s also proven in his brutal, terrific trilogy with Deontay Wilder that he can rock an opponent with the best of them. There really isn’t anything not to like about a Joshua-Fury battle, except of course for the fact that no world title belt will likely be at stake.
Believe it or not, however, the window is indeed closing. While this fight can arguably transpire whenever Joshua or Fury want it to, no one wants to see these former titlists when they’ve become shells of their former selves. Neither man looks to be washed up at the moment but, again, they both are arguably already past their primes. Furthermore, the fight won’t be as lucrative as it could have been if it’s delayed for a considerable period. Make no mistake about it, the clock is ticking on this one. Then again, perhaps it’s best to leave well enough alone. Boxing is a dangerous sport, and these two men aren’t getting any younger.