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By: Sean Crose
Tyson Fury, the outspoken WBC and lineal heavyweight champion of the world, plans on fighting twice in 2021 – whether that means he faces fellow titlist Anthony Joshua in a much anticipated superbout or not. Tyson, who stopped defending WBC champ Deontay Wilder a year ago in Vegas hasn’t fought since that time. Although Covid-19 unquestionably has something to do with Fury’s time away from the ring, it’s clear the Englishman wants to slip on the gloves sooner rather than later. Many had expected Fury to have a third fight with Wilder, but as he made clear while speaking to ESPN, the fight never came to fruition.
“It was just a big mess-up,” ESPN quotes Fury as saying. “I should have boxed, because I’ve been so inactive. I’ve been out for over a year.” The way Fury sees it, he might not be able to fight now until 2021 is around half over. “By the time I fight again,” he told ESPN, “looking at maybe June if this Joshua fight happens, that will be a year and six months out of the ring, which is not ideal preparation for any superfight.” Although it was indicated that a Fury-Joshua signing was just around the corner, Fury’s words indicate that might not be the case.
“They’ve had a full year to try and make this fight happen,” ESPN quotes Fury as saying. “Since the last Wilder fight, even before the Wilder fight, they were talking about a fight potentially between me and Joshua. They’ve had a full year to make something happen, and it hasn’t happened as of yet. It is what it is.” Perhaps most notably, Fury added: “We’re no further forward today than we were a year ago.” With all that being said, Fury doesn’t seem interested in pointing fingers at Joshua. “It’s to do with the venue, date, place, site fees. It’s to do with everything but the fight itself,” he stated.
Still, Fury let ESPN know that he feels a bout with Joshua will, in fact, happen. “If that fight doesn’t happen this summer, it’s got to happen sooner or later,” Fury claimed. “But Top Rank has to give me two fights this year. I will fight two times on ESPN. I don’t care who it is.” Although a match with Joshua might have to wait until June, Fury expressed a willingness to fight sooner if a Joshua match isn’t signed. “If it’s not Joshua, we’re looking to fight in April or early May, and the end of the year,” he claimed. “If it is Joshua, then June and the end of the year. Bang, bang. So, 2021 is looking bright.”
