Anthony Joshua has been accused of failing to show an appropriate level of public enthusiasm for his expected 2021 showdowns with Tyson Fury. Still, the WBA (super), WBO, and IBF champion assures fans that the all-British title fight is his immediate priority.
In a guest column for Boxing News, "AJ" admits all the "back-and-forth" with other potential big-fight opponents had made him reluctant to jump around shouting empty promises. When the contract is signed, sealed, and delivered for a bout with undefeated WBC titleholder, Joshua will be the first to confirm so.
"How close is the Fury fight? I promise you it's happening," Joshua wrote.
"But until you hear it from me, don't buy into anything. I'm serious about the fight, so when I announce it, you'll know it's real.
"I'm taking my time because there has been a lot of back-and-forth for years. I've been chasing this road to 'undisputed,' and when the time is right, I'll announce it and I'll have my mind fully focused on the job at hand.
"When it was Deontay Wilder in my way, that was my focus, and he admitted we gave him lucrative offers that he turned down. Now it's Tyson Fury that's my pure focus. The offers will be made, substantial offers. I've fought many champions before, so it's obvious to see we've done business with world champions before. It's no different with Fury. He should take this fight with both hands. The money will be split down the middle."
It makes sense for the two reigning heavyweight champions to have parity on the fight's financial terms. Joshua vs. Fury has been demanded by fans so much because it really will determine the division's best fighter amid its return to fashion — even if politics ensures that the bout does not deliver an undisputed champion for the first time since Lennox Lewis in 1999.
There is also a chance the financial situation leads to the fight being held outside of the U.K., despite a British venue such as London's Wembley Stadium or Cardiff's Principality Stadium.
It remains uncertain that any 80,000+ seat stadium in the U.K. will be able to return to full capacity in 2021, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. All of the necessary payouts to not only the fighters and their teams but also the sanctioning bodies involved — and possibly even to Oleksandr Usyk to ensure he agrees to wait a little longer for his mandatory WBO title fight — are likely to make a lucrative site fee from the U.S. or Saudi Arabia too tempting to pass up.
With the duo looking to agree to two fights, however, there remains a chance that they perhaps cash in on the first fight before deciding that the rematch will indeed take place on British soil, once a suitably-sized crowd is given the green-light to purchase tickets.