If anything symbolized the long-standing rivalry between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, it was this. A typical scene where expectations of “will it happen, or won’t it” turn into frustration.
April 11, 2026. Still, it felt like the clock had been rewound five or six years, as years of tedious anticipation of an all-British showdown disappeared in a matter of hours, even minutes. I’m here again.
For a moment, it seemed like the time had finally come. Boxing powerbroker Turki Alarusik – whose words tend to ring true these days – promised a “big surprise” in a speech at Tottenham ahead of Fury’s comprehensive upset victory over the powerful but restrictive Arslanbek Makhmudov.
Joshua sat in the front row all night and appears to have filmed much of Fury’s fight on his mobile phone amid expectations that Fury would enter the ring as a “big surprise” after the final bell. no.
Upon being announced as the winner, Fury grabbed the microphone and then shouted a challenge to a steel-faced Joshua in a gladiatorial fight. Joshua still sat at ringside, slouched in his chair and seemed to be the only man not amused by the show. If he had gone along with it, the Roman-style thumbs-up gesture might have been the perfect answer to this writer’s penchant for fiction. For now, only fiction remains.
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Highlights of Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov. Video provided by Netflix and The Ring. Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov now available worldwide only on Netflix
Fury and Alarusik attempted to convince Joshua and Eddie Hearn to enter the ring, but were unsuccessful. They didn’t hold back.
They’ve been here before. We’ve been here before. And clearly neither wanted to be part of a further battle over a battle that had not yet been agreed upon. Far from it.
Joshua called Fury an “influence-seeker” and refused to dance to the tune of the Gypsy King, instead insisting that Fury remained the “boss”, the “landlord” and the gunman. Maybe I should incorporate this sentiment into my next one-on-one meeting with my line manager.
Fury demanded “yes or no.” Joshua refused to give either. Thus resumes an all-too-familiar standoff between two fighters who believe they are the faces of British boxing, and that lies somewhere at the root of this troubled negotiation.
There may be something to admire about Joshua’s defiance as Fury, Alarusik and the world stare at him in public waiting for answers. Sure, he could have gotten into the ring for a promotional showdown while still feeding off Fury’s witty verbal jabs, but he knows that now means little.
It’s still a battle that depends on the tiniest details of the contract. That Joshua was able to shake off any suggestion that something was being signed shows how far apart the two remain.
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Sky Sports’ Andy Scott previews Tyson Fury’s return to action tonight against Arslanbek Makhmudov, but much of the content centers on continued speculation about a showdown with Anthony Joshua in 2026
Fury, who was fighting for the first time since losing a rematch to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024, sought to use the spotlight in the main event and the enthusiasm of Alarsik, who was in attendance, to fuel a narrative that would show him as the main influence pushing the fight forward.
He repeatedly urged Joshua to give “fight fans” the fight they had been craving, thereby creating an image that Joshua was not contributing to the sport. Both want a fight. There’s no doubt about it. But both want it on their terms, on their terms, without giving up any power or position.
The two looked set to fight in 2021 until a judge ruled that Deontay Wilder was eligible to face Fury in a trilogy. Since then, both men have repeatedly emphasized their desire to fight the other, but nothing has come of it, especially during this period when both men suffered back-to-back losses to heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, and Fury announced his “retirement” for the fourth and fifth time in his career, as Joshua heavily criticized on Saturday night.
Fury later questioned what “put up” meant for the fight with Joshua. One answer is that Joshua will need a long period of recovery and healing after a December car crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of his close friends Sheena Ghami and Latif Ayodele. In this case, he is absolutely right to dictate the timing of his actions, and I’m sure Fury knows that.
The tragedy came just days after Joshua defeated YouTube star Jake Paul in Miami, his first fight since losing by knockout to Daniel Dubois in September 2024. And that creates another factor in Joshua potentially needing a preliminary fight like Fury had against Mahmudov over the weekend.
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Tyson Fury is determined to fight domestic rival Anthony Joshua before retiring
Although threatening with looping overhand shots in the early exchanges, Mahmudov was primarily a rough, messy, stagnant punching bag, with Fury teeing off easily with his jab. Fury was relatively unfazed, controlling the fight with good boxing skills early on against an opponent with a flat gas tank, but was unable to muster the stoppage demanded by trainer Sugar Hill Steward in the corner. Dominant, yes. But it was the second gear performance that failed to impress Joshua, so how much did anyone learn about Fury on Saturday? Time will tell.
Despite Paul’s accomplishments in boxing, he is not as prepared as the more experienced Mahmudov. Fury has at least 12 precious rounds left to prepare. Joshua is likely still in the grieving process, whether he shows it publicly or not, and hinted on Saturday that he’s prioritizing his life behind the scenes.
Wilder’s name has resurfaced as another potential opponent for Joshua, which has long been discussed after he defeated Derek Chisora in his 50th professional fight at the O2 earlier this month. Although the Bronze Bomber is 40 years old and still has some vestiges of his former destructive self, he remains a dangerous ‘warm-up’ for Joshua, and another hurdle for him is that he has a limited list of suitors that makes sense at this stage of his career, especially as far as safe and salable tune-ups are concerned.
If you were to ask me who has the right timing right now, you’d say Fury. Therefore, a call was made from the people.
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Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and more take a look back at the fighters who made the most dramatic comebacks in the boxing ring
Of course, the question is – does anyone still care? Are boxing fans still interested? Is it still worth it?
Regardless of age, Fury is 37 and Joshua is 36, the boxing world is still paying attention, regardless of setbacks, form or painful waits. Anyone who denies that is lying.
Together they remain the most recognizable and coveted names in British boxing, filling stadiums within seconds and breaking viewership records. Boxing waited far too long to witness a match between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, and by the time they met, both men, like Fury and Joshua, were well past their prime, but it would still go down as the highest-grossing fight of all time.
That doesn’t mean Fury and AJ will follow suit, but the astronomical numbers beckon and it will be a chapter in British boxing history. Taken the other way, the reality that they aren’t the fighters they once were either paints a fight that’s much harder to predict or predict than it was a few years ago. Are you grasping at straws? perhaps.
For a while, walls were closing in on the rivalry. Their options elsewhere have evaporated, and they are deep on the back nine of their respective storied world title-winning careers. However, many of the same problems continue to loom in the way.
