Tyson Fury has put Anthony Joshua on hold as he maps out no fewer than ten more fights which will transform him from a multi millionaire into boxing’s first billionaire.
The much anticipated Battle of the British giants will have to wait until next year as the Gypsy King and Ukrainian war hero Oleksandr Usyk clash twice in 2024 to decide which of them will reign as the first undisputed world heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis.
Fury says: ”Unless the contract between Usyk and me isn’t worth the paper it’s written on – and it’s a double bubble worth a helluva lot to both of us – we will be having a rematch after our first fight next month.’
As for Team Joshua’s insistence that AJ and Tyson will be locking horns soon, Fury says: ‘I’ve lost a few million down the years because of contract disputes and no court in the world can refute the legality of the rematch clause in this one.
‘And why would either the winner or the loser of our first fight want to pull out of a second fight when there’s so much money at stake?’
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Tyson Fury has mapped out ten more fights in bid to become boxing’s first billionaire
Fury will fight Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18
Neither, is the answer. Not with both men expected to pocket in the region of one hundred million dollars from each fight. Both in Riyadh, the new fight capital of the world. The first on May 18, the second in late October.
On keeping Joshua in abeyance, Fury says: ‘He had his two goes at Usyk and lost both. And he went into meltdown after the second defeat. Now it’s my time.’
Tyson was speaking in his home town of Morecambe as he launched the four week countdown to Usyk 1.
As he addressed the press conference His Excellency Türkie Al Al Sikh, who directs the huge financing of fights in Saudi Arabia, came on a loudspeaker phone to declare: ‘Tyson, you are the diamond in world boxing. You know I want you to be our crown jewel for ten more fights.’
Fury, 35, said: ‘I do know that. ‘ And went on to outline that sequence thus:
‘Usyk twice this year. Joshua twice next year. ‘Then quicker fights against Daniel Dubois, Joe Joyce, a fourth fight with Deontay Wilder maybe in the US.
‘Then Joseph Parker perhaps followed by European champion Agit Kabayal. Then a trilogy fight with Usyk.’
On the timing he said: ‘ I could fight until I’m 40 and I’m happiest when I’m boxing. But I’d like to knock that lot off in three of four fights a year. Then see what’s next. ‘
Fury is anything but deflated by his recent struggle to get up from a knock down to marginally defeat UFC. Legend Francis Ngannou.
Rivals have agreed a rematch clause in October and there is potential for a trilogy fight
Fury’s much-anticipated showdown will Anthony Joshua will have to wait until next year
When his promoter Frank Warren and trainer Sugar Hill predicted he would KO the also undefeated Usyk in May to add the WBA, IBF and WBO belts to his WBC title to become the first undisputed champ of the four belt era, Fury joked: ‘I’m tipping Usyk to stop me in the first round!’
Then added: ‘He’s a great champion who deserves all our respect. So don’t say he’s s*** when I bash him up twice. Which I could do every day of the week.’
The sun peeked through the clouds lowering over Morecambe Bay as Fury -looking in host condition for years – began this countdown, to what he calls: ‘My destiny’
All is well again in the Gypsy Kingdom.’
