JOSHUA: FURY IS NEXT AFTER I SEE OFF USYK

LONDON SET TO HOST ONE HALF OF DOUBLE-HEADER

ANTHONY JOSHUA’S double-header against Tyson Fury is on the cards for 2022, with London a frontrunner to host one of the fights.

The pair had been due to meet this year before an arbitration hearing ordered Fury to fight Deontay Wilder for a third time.

That bout is set to take place next month, with Joshua fighting Oleksandr Usyk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night. If both win, talks will ramp up for potentially the richest fight in boxing history estimated at £200million.

Of the prospect of facing Fury next, Joshua said: “What an honour it would be to fight Tyson, get another good fighter on the record, beat him, we move forward. I’d love that opportunity.

“We were close to doing it. We were a couple of weeks away and, boom, it came to an end. We’ll get it on…I’m sure.”

Wembley, with a capacity of 90,000, is seen as the only viable option in the

UK for the Joshua-Fury clash, while the other half of the double-header looks set to happen in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn were left fuming after Fury pulled out of their initial fight in order to meet Wilder yet again.

And the current WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight world champion warned he expected the potential for more setbacks before their longawaited first meeting. “He’s someone who pulls out of fights, even with the Wilder situation happening,” said Joshua. “We’ll see him sometime soon. When everybody’s ready, we’ll be here waiting.”

Joshua has now fought 26 times in the professional ranks, his only blip coming with the shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr more than two years ago. But the 31-year-old said he was growing increasingly frustrated by many of his fellow heavyweights’ failure to face him.

“In the Fifties, guys actually fought each other — that made them great,” he said. “In this day and age, it’s who speaks the most, who generates the most interest from speaking. So, it’s a different era of boxing. I just like to fight these guys.”

Joshua will fight in front of 60,000 fans as a slimmed-downed version of himself having cut his weight to face former cruiserweight Usyk. It has led to question marks from some corners but Joshua says he is in ideal shape.

And despite the prospect of Fury, he is fully focused on Usyk. “He’s a good fighter, a good pedigree,” said Joshua.