Tyson Fury marked his return to the heavyweight mix with a composed points win over Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, before immediately turning ringside to call out long-time rival Anthony Joshua.
The 37-year-old Briton – out of his latest retirement after 15 months – was far from Fury in full flow, but had enough ring IQ and technical control to outbox Makhmudov across 12 largely one-sided rounds.
Fury had to be watchful at times as Makhmudov did land occasional overhand rights, but the Russian was largely one-dimensional as Fury took a wide decision with scorecards of 120-108, 120-108 and 119-109.
But before the scores were even read out, Fury invited Joshua into the ring, but his rival refused.
“I challenge you, Anthony Joshua, to fight me next. Do you accept?” Fury said after more attempts to get Joshua into the ring failed.
Joshua, who appeared to film much of Saturday’s fight on his phone at ringside, initially seemed reluctant to engage, before replying: “I punched you up when we were kids and I’ll punch you up again.
“You aren’t going to tell me what to do, I’ve been chasing you for 10 years.
“I’m the boss, you work for me. I’m the landlord. You work for me.”
Fury responded: “You [Anthony Joshua] are next. You are getting knocked out. Believe it.”
A bout that should have happened in both men’s primes, it now lingers as boxing’s great what-if – but it appears it may finally be made a reality.
In his first fight since successive defeats to unified champion Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, Fury moves to 35 wins, two losses and one draw.
For Makhmudov, 36, it was a third defeat in 24 fights.
Will we finally see Fury v Joshua?
Fury and Joshua – both two-time world champions – have carried British boxing on the global stage for more than a decade, yet despite years of negotiations and false starts, the fight has never materialised.
Now, though, this feels like their most significant breakthrough yet.
“I have been at this table with him many times. In my heart, I’d fight Fury tomorrow, especially after watching that. There is not a problem fighting him,” Joshua told Netflix.
“I am not here to get clout. I am here to fight. The contract will be sent over, we will go through the nitty gritty, and you will probably see us in the ring next, more than likely.”
Joshua, 36, beat YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in December, before suffering a tragic car crash in Nigeria later in the month which claimed the lives of his two friends.
“I was in a serious incident maybe four months ago,” he added. “I need to really check out what is going on with my return to the ring.
“But I’m here, keeping my eye on the game. I am not ducking anyone, there are just things in my life I need to tend to.”
Most fans argue the moment has passed. Both fighters are now in their late thirties and no longer at their physical peak, but the commercial pull remains enormous.
For all the focus on Joshua, Usyk still looms in the background as a potential sporting detour for Fury, although there is limited appetite for a third fight after Usyk’s dominance across their first two meetings.
Another route could lead Fury towards the winner of the 9 May clash between WBO world champion Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois.
For now, though, Fury has done what he needed. He returned and he won comfortably.
And if the showdown with Joshua truly is next, British boxing may finally get the fight it has spent a generation waiting for.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com