Opinion: Anthony Joshua Needs To Fight Tyson Fury Next
Dec 19, 2025; Miami, Florida, UNITED STATES; Anthony Joshua celebrates after defeating Jake Paul during a heavyweight boxing bout at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Anthony Joshua needs to fight Tyson Fury next. There.
I said it. It's out there now. And before anyone argues that statement, let me just say: Joshua deserves to have a tuneup bout before Fury.
He hasn't had a win over a serious contender since defeating Otto Wallin in December 2023 (no, his wins against Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul don't count as wins over real contenders. And that's not even mentioning Joshua getting destroyed by Daniel Dubois in five brutal rounds in September 2024), and he's had to deal with his involvement in a tragic car crash which killed two of his friends in December. So yes, Joshua deserves a warm-up bout before facing Fury to make sure his mind and body are right.
But here's the problem: If Joshua doesn't fight Fury next, the fight isn't going to happen. Why? A plethora of reasons: Fury could retire (again), Joshua could lose his tuneup fight if his head isn't right, Fury could decide to have a tuneup bout as well if Joshua has one, etc.
And what ends up happening? The same thing that's been happening for years: The biggest fight that can be made right now in British boxing doesn't end up happening. For all intents and purposes, people shouldn't be excited about a Fury-Joshua bout these days.