Sky Sports looks at the key questions of what we know and what we don’t know about the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua fight.
Is it on?
that. teeth. Above. Finally. Anthony Joshua is scheduled to face Tyson Fury. A potential matchup between two of British boxing’s biggest names, heavyweight rivals and former world champions has been frequently rumored, but it took years to materialize.
Now, Anthony Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has declared the AJ vs. Fury fight “signed, sealed and delivered.” Fury revealed he had signed a deal to fight Joshua following his come-from-behind victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov earlier this month.
When will it be held?
We don’t actually know yet, but it should happen sometime this year. Eddie Hearn previously told Sky Sports that Joshua was working towards a fight with Fury in November this year, while The Ring magazine also announced that it would take place in “Q4 2026”.
Where is it?
Well, that too is unconfirmed at this point. It is expected to be held in the UK. Only the largest stadiums are a realistic option. Wembley Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have a history of hosting major boxing events. In the past, major matches have been held at Tottenham’s ground in November and December.
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Tyson Fury grabbed a microphone and loudly challenged him to fight Anthony Joshua next, but his rival didn’t give him a clear answer.
What could be the problem?
This is boxing. Anything can and often does go wrong. Joshua is scheduled to have a tune-up fight against Christian Prengga in July. Prengga was a virtual unknown until that fight was announced. As an opponent, he’s 6-foot-5, has a 20-1 record, and could probably be a threat on paper…but there’s a reason he’s been previously unknown. It’s very unlikely that Joshua loses to him, and even if he does, a Fury fight can still happen and will definitely happen.
An injury is more likely to derail or at least postpone a match, but of course it is possible for an injury to persist not only during a match but also during training.
Why did it take so long?
Fury has been a heavyweight for many years. Joshua has been a superstar since winning gold at the 2012 London Olympics. It would have been a big fight from the moment Joshua turned pro. But in boxing, big matches like this usually happen when both fighters have reached world level, and that takes time and development.
Fury stepped away from competition after defeating Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 to become the unified world champion, but their trajectories never crossed. Joshua picked up the belts that Fury had previously held one by one. Fury returned to boxing, this time targeting Deontay Wilder, defeating the hard-punching American to win the WBC heavyweight title.
Fury and Joshua were on the verge of meeting in a contest for the undisputed heavyweight championship, but Wilder exercised his right to a three-part deal with Fury. Joshua lost the belt to Oleksandr Usyk and was unable to regain it in a rematch.
Fury then fought Usyk for the undisputed crown, losing to the equally talented Ukrainian. Furious, Fury retired in 2025 and has only now returned to boxing.
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Tyson Fury tells half-brother Tommy Fury he is hungry for “more” as he contemplates retiring from boxing. ‘At Home with the Furies’ Season 2 is now available on Netflix
Why does AJ have tune-up matches?
Joshua fought in December and defeated YouTuber turned professional boxer Jake Paul. It took six rounds longer than expected to knock out Paul, but it was Joshua’s first fight in more than a year after a stoppage loss to Daniel Dubois.
After his match with Paul, Joshua was in a terrible car accident, killing two of his close friends who were also members of his team. Not only is Joshua dealing with the tragedy, he also has to shake off the physical effects of the incident that left him injured.
Who will win?
How Joshua performs in his comeback fight will tell the story. He looked great in Otto Wallin’s 2023 conquest. Since then, his only wins have come against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, who is dabbling in boxing, and Jake Paul, a novice professional boxer who is not an official heavyweight.
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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
The fight between Fury and Usyk may have been a loss for him, but it was a close, top-tier fight. In Arslanbek Makhmudov, Fury’s comeback came against a predictable opponent, but one who was heavy-handed and far more capable than Prenga.
But then Fury really struggled with Ngannou and Joshua flattened him.
This bout will take place late in both men’s careers, as both men have been away from boxing for quite some time. All this adds an extra element of unpredictability to the event.
Who have they been training with?
Before his return, Fury claimed to be training himself and running his own camp. Sugarhill Steward, who previously coached Fury, joined the team a few weeks before the Mahmudov fight.
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‘AJ will beat Fury!’ | Usyk says he ‘helped’ Joshua at camp
Joshua took part in training with Oleksandr Usyk and the Ukrainian team. Former rivals have joined forces.
Usyk, a still unified and undefeated former heavyweight world champion, has a different fighting style than Joshua, but has defeated both Joshua and Fury twice. He could give Joshua more momentum in this fight.
What does Dua Lipa have to do with it?
Sky Sports understands that Saudi investor Turki Alarusik, who is sponsoring the event, has stipulated that Dua Lipa must perform in the match.
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Andy Scott gives an update on the potential fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. That includes the bizarre suggestion that Dua Lipa have to perform in a match.
There is precedent for this sort of thing, for example Liam Gallagher performed at Wembley Stadium before the Joshua-Dubois fight.
But no one can say they expected it to be Dua Lipa who would ultimately create Joshua Fury.
