Tyson Fury threatens to retire again if Anthony Joshua agreement breaks down | Boxing | Sport

Tyson Fury has threatened to hang up his gloves for a sixth and final time should Anthony Joshua refuse to face him in the ring. Fury made his return from his most recent spell on the sidelines on Saturday night, comfortably outpointing towering Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov. Joshua was present ringside at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, yet declined to bow to Fury’s demands – leaving his rival visibly frustrated.

There had been reports a fight is already agreed but the post-fight scenes gave a mixed impression as to whether or not the Battle of Britain will finally occur. “If it isn’t Anthony Joshua next, I’m not interested in boxing,” Fury insisted. “I’ll eat a thousand Easter eggs, go up to 35 stone and I’m out, not interested. It’s either him or I’m gone again. I only care about AJ now. That’s the defining fight for British boxing; it’s either going to happen or it’s not.”

Fury and Joshua have cultivated a decade-long rivalry without ever squaring off. Joshua will extend that wait further by taking a warm-up bout this summer as he continues his recovery from a near-fatal car crash last December. Fury was left taken aback by his fellow former world champion’s reluctance.

“He was brought ringside for a reason, to get in that ring, do a face-off and get the fight done,” he added. “He was very evasive and didn’t give any definitive answers. I know one thing; he wasn’t saying yes.

“In my opinion he didn’t want no smoke. He didn’t look like he wanted it, he was just shell-shocked and didn’t know what to say. He came ringside to make a fight. If it was me I’d have jumped in that ring and faced off.

“Ten years in the making and still, after all this time, there’s still uncertainty about if this fight’s going to happen next. I don’t want to put any deadlines on it. He either wants to do it or he doesn’t. It’s now or never.”