By Shaun Murphy-
Tyson Fury had no genuine plans to face Anthony Joshua when he offered him an opportunity to fight for his Wbc belt in December, according to Tony Bellew, The proposed all-British clash between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua is now off after Joshua failed to returned the contract to fury signed following a 15 day wait by the unbeaten gypsy king.
Joshua’s team say they had to consider the details of the contract closely before agreeing to the deal, as they accused Fury of revealing his true intentions of not being interested in the fight. Bellew- a friend and supporter of Joshua- believes that narrative.
‘All you need to do is look back at the list of names on Anthony Joshua’s resume, and you realise this kid just fights anyone and everyone. That’s what he does.’
Bellew confirmed that both Charr or Chisora have received fight contracts for the December fight in Cardiff.
Bellew, who said Fury’s ability as a fighter speaks for itself , said the Gypsy King can no longer be trusted, having made a series of contradictory statements since his last outing.
‘I think Tyson Fury’s an amazing fighter,’ Bellew said. ‘I don’t detract from his achievements whatsoever, he’s amazing. He’s a one in a lifetime fighter, but don’t be so naïve. How can you take a man seriously who retires every five minutes?
‘This guy dines out on being the lineal heavyweight champion, but he’s retired more times than Lennox Lewis in the last 20 years!’
Bellew continued: ‘I can’t take a man seriously who at one minute says he wants to fight Anthony Joshua for free, and then in the next stance says he wants £500million to fight.
‘Then in the next stance he says he wants to fight two people in one night, and sends a contract for £2m to Derek Chisora, which he did do, because I’ve spoken to Derek. And he also sent a contract to Charr.
Fury has always been a publicity man with unpredictable actions. but many fans will be more comfortable believing Joshua’s side is dodging the fight because of the risks involved. The same can be said of Fury, who stands to lose the chance of becoming the undisputed world heavyweight champion if he gets knocked out by Joshua before meeting Usyk.
That possibility, though fairly slim, could be a worry for the gypsy king, who knows how much money is involved in this fight. Why would he not wait a little longer if he is serious about the fight? possibly because he is not serious enough, or his ego is getting the better of him, and he wants to prove he is in charge by setting deadlines.
On the face of it two weeks would seem long enough to negotiate and agree a contract for a big fight like this, which gives Fury the edge when it comes to assessing his genuine willingness to want the fight. The world champion could want to be clear well in advance of who he will be fighting in order to prepare accordingly. A bit of patience still wouldn’t hurt.
As things stand, Chisora could be the man opposite Tyson fury on December 3. That outcome will not favour Fury’s reputation because it is not fight Fury should be having at this stage of his career. Voluntary fights are not meant to be guaranteed walk overs, which is what a fight against Chisora would be.
Tyson Fury against Anthony Joshua is the fight the public want to see. It is seen as a walk over for Fury, but carries the real risk of an upset when you are talking of a former undisputed champion like Anthony Joshua.
Bellew’s guess that Fury has seen his way out of fighting Joshua and taken it could be true, but the reverse is more plausible.
Joshua has had long enough to agree the contract, and address any issues associated with television rights, which have so far not been revealed.
Fury is the best heavyweight in the world and has no strong reason to avoid Joshua, after the Londoner’s last two disappointing fights.
A fight with Fury now is logistically bad for the beaten champion, and good but slightly risky for Fury.