Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury each vowed to win their upcoming fights in order for a mammoth all-British heavyweight showdown to take place between the pair in 2021.
The arch rivals bumped into each other in Marbella, Spain, over the weekend in a chance meeting between the pair as they both took time to relax ahead of their training camps.
Joshua is expected to take on mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev in Britain with an October or November date in mind, while Fury is awaiting a confirmed date for his trilogy bout with Deontay Wilder. Should both fighters emerge victorious from their respective bouts, a huge unification bout is expected with all four belts on the line.
AJ’s promotor, Eddie Hearn, has revealed what was said between the pair when they ran into each other on the weekend.
“It was amazing, people think it was a set up,’ he said, “AJ said he was walking down the road and Fury drove up and opened the window and was like, “Alright?”
“I think he said to AJ, “Make sure you beat Kubrat Pulev”. And AJ said, “make sure you beat Deontay Wilder, and they both said, “I will, and I’ll see you next year.”
It was hoped that Joshua would take on Pulev in the spring of 2020 while Fury would meet Wilder for a third time this summer. However, the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on the sporting calendar, pushing back the dates for those bouts.
If Fury were to face Wilder in December, it could mean that the Brit has to face Dillian Whyte in a mandatory defence of his WBC belt. The Bodysnatcher has been given a cut off date of February 2021 to challenge Fury for his belt.
‘If they [Fury-Wilder] fight in early December, and we make an agreement to fight in early March, yes, we will accept that,’ Hearn added.
‘I’ll do Whyte-Fury. I’ll stick the dough up. It’s a huge fight. We haven’t heard from Deontay Wilder. He hasn’t been vocal about the third fight but we understand the position.
‘Tyson Fury has got to fight Deontay Wilder. Good luck, crack on; it’s difficult for everyone.
‘Will they do Fury against Wilder 3, and will they do it in November or December? The cut-off date for Whyte to fight for the WBC title is the end of February, and we expect that to be kept to.’
