Anthony Joshua first called out Tyson Fury more than 10 years ago

The former two-time heavyweight champion has long called for a mouthwatering showdown with the ‘Gypsy King,’ but thus far, a match-up has failed to come to fruition

Anthony Joshua first expressed his interest in a showdown with long-time rival Tyson Fury over a decade ago.

The pair have traded verbal jabs on several occasions over the years, but a fight has failed to materialise as of yet. They were close to finalising a match-up back in 2021, but a dust-up never came to fruition after Deontay Wilder’s contractual demand for a trilogy fight with the ‘Gypsy King.’

Fury would go on to beat the ‘Bronze Bomber’ for a second time, but talks of a future clash with ‘AJ’ seemed to taper off. Many within the boxing fraternity seem to think that both Fury and Joshua have been at each other’s throats for the last five years or so, but you’d be deeply mistaken.

The former two-time heavyweight champion has long called for a grudge match with Fury, after first name-dropping the ‘Gypsy King back in 2015. Joshua announced himself back in 2012 after striking gold at the Olympic Games in London. A year later, he turned pro, and was quick to burst onto the scene.

In just his ninth fight, he won the vacant WBC international title with a destructive knockout over Denis Bakhtov. At that point, Joshua was starting to make big waves in the world of boxing, but it was not until his knockout win over Dillian Whyte in 2015 that he truly established himself as a household name.

After the contest, Joshua talked up a potential fight with Fury, stating: “We’ll do it in our own time. I’d fight Tyson Fury now but it would be a hard fight. When I’m ready, I’ll make it an easy fight. But I’d fight Dillian again. He might give me a few more rounds. That’s what I need.”

A month prior to Joshua’s win over Whyte, Fury had struck gold after dethroning Wladimir Klitschko in Germany to win the WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO titles, and in doing so, extending his professional record to 25-0. The ‘Gypsy King’ was a well-established top-level fighter at that point.

As for Joshua, it wasn’t until 2016 that he first became a world champion after knocking out Charles Martin at the O2 Arena. Both men have enjoyed rather glittering careers ever since, but it seems as if they are now on a collision course to finally squaring off in the ring.

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Fury announced his retirement last January following back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, only to perform a drastic U-turn. The 37-year-old is expected to return in the coming months, and is even targeting a blockbuster all-British fight with Joshua. Last month, reports emerged that the pair had agreed to meet in a summer clash, but they must first get through respective tune-up fights first.

Those plans are on hold for the time being after Joshua was involved in a tragic car crash – which killed two of his friends – in Nigeria last week. Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, is now unsure whether a bout will come together following the horrific scenes near Lagos. Speaking to The Mirror, he said: “Well, boxing will certainly be the last thing on his [Joshua’s] mind, right now. He’s obviously lost two team members who were good, close friends who are now no longer with us, so that will be a big loss to him.

“I don’t know the extent of his injuries, but it’s also how mentally this will affect him. Boxing again will be the last thing on his mind, but tragedy can affect people in different ways; sometimes, you need something you can really focus on to pull through to the other side.”

Earlier this week, Joshua’s uncle has claimed the former world champion has informed his family he will retire following the fatal car crash. “The major thing there is that he has retired from boxing. That is one thing that makes us glad because each time he’s fighting in the ring, we are always carried away emotionally,” Adedamola Joshua told The Punch. “Each time he’s knocked down, it is just like the heart is coming out of our chest. All these emotional feelings whenever he’s fighting, it’s too much trauma for us, also. Now that he has said that he’s leaving while the ovation is highest, we are happy.” However, despite the man professing to be the Brit’s uncle, claiming that his nephew has decided to call it a day, it is understood that no such decision has been made.