Fury vs Joshua date and venue now clear after excruciating scenes | Boxing | Sport

A 10-year sporting soap opera was condensed into three excruciating minutes. In Tyson Fury‘s mind, he had executed his plan to perfection. He had successfully navigated his way past the intimidating but limited Arslanbek Makhmudov after 16 months out of the ring.

All that was left was for Anthony Joshua to join him in the ring, shake hands and agree to make each other even wealthier. But there his scheme hit an 18-stone brick wall. Joshua remained slouched in his front-row seat, barely moving an inch as Fury, 37, called the shots.

When he did attempt a response, his microphone didn’t work. “Tyson, you are a clout chaser. I’ve never had a problem getting in the ring with you,” Joshua eventually fired back. “I’ll see you in that ring in due time, you won’t tell me what to do.

“When you’re ready, you tell me your conditions and I’ll tell you when I’m ready. I’m the landlord, remember that, you work for me.” At that, a baffled Fury left the ring feeling as flat as the previously-charged atmosphere.

Joshua later explained he is still recovering after sustaining injuries in a tragic car crash which killed two of his close friends last December. But he is resolute in his determination not to dance to Fury’s tune. The 36-year-old has seen this movie before and needs to be convinced there will be a happier ending.

He and Fury agreed terms in 2021 before the latter was instead ordered to fight Deontay Wilder for a third time. Fury won, but Joshua had by then lost his heavyweight world titles to Oleksandr Usyk. And the Olympic champion has no doubt Fury is to blame for the missed chances over the last decade.

Before cheating death in Nigeria days after knocking out Jake Paul, Joshua had laid out a two-fight schedule for this year. He would return to the ring in March – likely against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven who will instead face Usyk next month – before facing Fury this summer.

And the charade in Tottenham has not altered the thinking behind that plan. Joshua, who has returned to Valencia where he trains alongside Usyk, will now have his warm-up fight in July. He and his team have proposed that be against Deontay Wilder who edged out Derek Chisora earlier this month.

But while Wilder is not the knockout artist of old, it is believed he may be considered too risky. Assuming Joshua emerges unscathed this summer, his fight with Fury will finally be staged in October or November. The British blockbuster would be streamed by Netflix – who it is understood were told it had already been agreed.

And despite speculation, Dublin’s Croke Park will not play host, with Wembley the likely venue. For his part, Fury insists he has agreed terms to face Joshua as part of a three-fight deal first outlined in Turkey last summer.

But Joshua is still reviewing his own contract and will not be rushed into putting pen to paper. Nevertheless, there is confidence a deal will ultimately be struck – just not on Fury’s terms.