By Shaun Murphy-
Tyson Fury, the newly crowned top prize in the heavyweight division, has expressed strong objections to having Anthony Joshua face Deontay Wilder on the undercard of his upcoming undisputed heavyweight championship battle against Oleksandr Usyk, scheduled for December 23rd.
Fury,(pictured) whose rise to dominance in the heavyweight division has been nothing short of meteoric, currently holds the title of WBC champion and is widely regarded as the leading fighter in the division.
His undefeated status includes two resounding victories over Deontay Wilder, which led to his ascendancy in the division.
Joshua said: ‘If they get this undisputed fight on, which has been looming for a while, word on the street is that it’s supposed to be the undisputed fighters and then the undercard is supposed to be a big, lively one with me and Wilder.’
Fury and Osyk are earmarked to meet in December, although no official date has been confirmed for the fight.
However, Fury’s declaration of objection to the proposed match-up between Joshua and Wilder raises questions about the dynamics within the heavyweight division.
Joshua, once considered one of Britain’s biggest draws and a marquee name in heavyweight boxing, saw his star power dim after two losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
These defeats marked a significant shift in the heavyweight landscape, with Fury now holding the distinction of being the top prize in the division.
One critical moment that contributed to this changing of the guard was the abandoned lucrative fight between Joshua and Wilder, which was long anticipated by boxing fans.
Big puncher Wilder(left) and Anthony Joshua (right) Image:skynews.com
The failure to materialize this clash left the door open for Fury to seize his current position of dominance in the heavyweight division. Fury’s recent comments suggest that he is unwilling to share the spotlight with either of these former champions, particularly on his own undercard.
Fury’s objection stems from the belief that Joshua and Wilder should have their platform to fight and prove their worth, rather than being included as a sideshow to his own historic battle with Usyk.
In his recent interview with iFL TV, Fury stated, “It’s quite embarrassing really when you’ve got a former heavyweight world champion begging for a fight, begging to be on the undercard. Is he [Joshua] a child or what? He wants to go on my undercard? Him vs. Wilder? Go and get your show.”
A match between Joshua and Wilder would undoubtedly inject some much-needed excitement into the boxing world and could potentially overshadow Fury’s title bout with Usyk. It could also complement it nicely.
Wilder was once an invisible one punch knock out artist who destroyed everyone in his path until he met Fury- the bogey man who crashed the Alabama man’s then unstoppable almighty party.
Boxing fans will have to wait and see whether Fury’s reluctance will prevail or if Joshua and Wilder will indeed get the chance to showcase their skills and possibly steal the show come December 23rd.