Search icon

Sport

14th Dec 2017

Two interesting opponents offered to Tyson Fury before ‘AJ’ fight

Two big names

Darragh Murphy

Tyson Fury is two fights away from Anthony Joshua, according to the latter’s promoter.

The biggest fight on the table for both men is the all-British showdown between the undefeated heavyweights but Fury will be required to prove his dedication and shake off any potential ring rust by taking a pair of bouts prior to the ‘AJ’ super-fight.

While Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn doesn’t promote Fury, he has suggested two big names from his stable who could test the controversial fighter’s mettle in the first half of 2018.

“The good news is he’s now served his ban. It looks almost inevitable that we’ll see him return to boxing, which is great for the sport,” Hearn told Sky Sports.

“We’ve got three fights for him. He can fight Dillian Whyte on the comeback, then Tony Bellew and then he can have Anthony Joshua.”

Fury had his UK Anti-Doping ban backdated two years on Tuesday, which paved the way for his comeback although a stumbling block remains his lack of a boxing licence in Britain.

The British Boxing Board of Control intend to review Fury’s suspended licence in January but he has claimed that he might look for licencing elsewhere in an online rant on Wednesday.

Bouts against Bellew and Whyte would make sense for ‘2 Fast’, who is aiming for a return in April, while Joshua is looking at a pair of unification bouts before meeting Fury in a tilt which has been described by Hearn as the “biggest fight in British boxing history.”

“Team Joshua are over the moon because we want as many contenders as possible and we want the biggest fights, and Tyson Fury has to go down on that list,” Hearn added.

“Tyson knows he has to come back in a fight or two, but we’re ready and waiting.

“We’ve had a couple of texts backwards and forwards about his idea of how a deal should work. He wants a lot more than a 50/50 split, he’s already told me.

“Certainly that’s a fight that’s on everybody’s minds right now.”