British-Nigerian heavyweight boxer, Anthony Joshua, has declared that he is open to a first-ever face-off with Tyson Fury after his upcoming fight against Kristian Prenga, provided he emerges victorious, The Punch reports.
Fury came out of a 16-month retirement in April to defeat Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Joshua among those watching from ringside.
Although fans anticipated a dramatic confrontation between the two rivals after the fight, Joshua declined to take part in a staged face-off, noting that no agreement had been finalised for their long-anticipated clash.
Joshua is now set to return to the ring on July 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he will take on Albania’s Kristian Prenga, who has a professional record of 20 wins and one defeat.
A day before Joshua’s bout, Fury will square off against 46-year-old Polish veteran Mariusz Wach in Thailand.
The former world champion is then expected to travel to Jeddah to watch Joshua’s fight, a move that could spark the build-up to their long-awaited all-British showdown.
“If he wants to come in the ring when I win July 25th, feel welcome. Come into my territory. I am the landlord. I am going to welcome you into my home. You do not welcome me into your home,” Joshua told DAZN.
“I have been in that position before where I have signed contracts with Fury, so I did not play into the games. I was there on a scouting mission. I wanted to see what my future opponent was going to look like, and I saw a lot. I saw some good, I saw some vulnerabilities in there.”
Despite growing anticipation, Joshua, 36, and Fury, 37, have yet to settle on a date and venue for what is expected to be one of British boxing’s biggest events.
While Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh, who is backing the contest, remains interested in staging it in the kingdom, he is said to prefer a later start time to suit American television audiences.
Las Vegas and New York have also been mentioned as possible venues, while options in the United Kingdom remain uncertain. London is currently without the required licensing for a fight of such scale, and Cardiff’s Principality Stadium is not being considered.
