Boxing rivals reignite feud as Tyson Fury targets Anthony Joshua

Fury also labeled Joshua "a classless loser coming off a 15-month knockout defeat to a local lad" and wondered why a fighter of his age was fighting Paul, who had been beaten by Tommy Fury in February 2023.

Retired champion could make comeback for long-awaited British showdown

Fury made his latest retirement announcement in January 2025 following back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk for the unified heavyweight championships. He has retired on several occasions before, but has come back each time. 

This is different. His promoter, Frank Warren, also confirmed to Sky Sports News on Monday that talks are underway for Fury to fight Joshua toward the end of summer 2026 as part of Riyadh Season.

Fury has "indicated if it’s the right deal, he’ll definitely do it," according to Warren. This fight has been talked about for years, and nothing has come of it despite both men attaining the peak position in the heavyweight division.

According to Ring Magazine, both fighters will have separate bouts before finally meeting each other. Fury may need a warm-up fight, considering his year-long hiatus from boxing.

Warren stated that the timeline is possible because Joshua still has to get past Paul this week, and maybe another fight in 2026. If Joshua stumbles against Paul, the entire plan will fall apart. Warren was very clear about this. 

"If he can’t beat Jake Paul, we shouldn’t even be talking about him fighting Tyson Fury," Warren said in a statement to Sky Sports News.

However, the trash talk between Fury and Joshua is nothing new. These two have been going back and forth for years, with the fight always being close but never materializing.

This time, however, with both men well past their primes and Saudi Arabia funding the fight, it could finally come to fruition. But first, Joshua has some business to take care of in Miami.