Heavyweight boxer, Tyson Fury’s father, John Fury, says he is not fully convinced his son will beat heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua in their long-anticipated showdown.
Fury and Joshua have already agreed terms for a fight later this year, although an official date and venue are still to be confirmed.
Before that, both fighters are scheduled to take tune-up bouts, with Joshua set to face Kristian Prenga on July 25, while Fury is expected to fight a week after.
However, John Fury doubts both the certainty of the clash and its outcome, describing it as evenly balanced.
“There’s a lot of I’s to dot and T’s to cross, let’s put it that way,” he told Fight Your Corner. “Those fights are never on til you’re facing each other. I want it to happen; I want the guys to get the best deal possible. Get as much money as they can, and retire.
“(The result is) 50/50. There’s not a f** paper between them. A man like Anthony Joshua with that power. Look what he did to Ngannou. That mans a unit. I want this to be both mens’ defining fight. Win lose or draw. Behind closed doors they both got a lot of respect for one another. He’s Tyson’s biggest dance partner [and they should] go and get as much money as you can and walk into the sunset.”
Fury was recently present at the White House for UFC Freedom 250 events, where he was seen ringside and hinted at a possible announcement alongside UFC chief executive Dana White.
However, his camp has insisted that no agreement has been reached with White’s Zuffa Boxing.
He also spoke about the potential Joshua bout, saying, “I’m very excited for this fight. It’s been over a decade in the making. For whatever reason it hasn’t happened before. Let’s hope it happens right now, very soon.”
Joshua also responded after being shown Fury’s callout following his April win over Arslanbek Makhmudov, suggesting a face-off could happen after his next fight.
“Looking at it like this, that is a very iconic moment,” he told Matchroom while watching a video of Fury demanding he join him in the ring. “Now i need to go in there and do the job and get the W. Come to Saudi July 25 and I’ll welcome you into the ring. If you’re serious, come out and we can get talking then.
“They’ve dangled the carrot in front of me saying if I beat Prenga I can fight Tyson Fury, so I’m fully locked in on getting the job done because thats the fight I dream of. It’s a big opportunity for me and this year is a big year for me. Now I know the fight is signed and sealed, he’s more than welcome to step in the ring and he’ll he the last hurdle of 2026.”
