Tyson Fury has hinted that his highly anticipated fight with Anthony Joshua could be in serious trouble, claiming he is now looking for a new opponent and calling on Oleksandr Usyk to face him again in November.
Fury and Joshua have both signed individual contracts for their long-awaited all-British heavyweight showdown, which is being targeted for November. However, the fight has yet to be officially announced, with negotiations reportedly being held up over where the bout will take place.
The situation appeared to take a dramatic turn after Fury posted a video on Instagram, accusing Joshua of backing out of the fight and suggesting that a third meeting with Usyk could now be on the cards.
“This will only lead me to a fight with Oleksandr Usyk,” Fury said as quoted by the BBC.
Addressing Usyk directly, Fury added, “You got the decisions last time, fair play to you. Good luck to you. Let’s do it again. Let’s run it back in November.”
“The ball is now in your court. Do you want to fight me this year, 2026, or are you calling it quits? Let me know because I am now looking for a new opponent.”
Fury has already suffered two defeats against Usyk, who became the undisputed heavyweight champion after beating the Brit twice. Usyk is now working with Joshua as part of his training and coaching team, adding another layer of intrigue to Fury’s latest comments.
Despite Fury’s claims, there has been no official confirmation that negotiations for the Joshua fight have collapsed. Sela, Queensberry, and Matchroom have not responded to the latest development.
The main stumbling block appears to be the venue. Saudi promoter Sela is fronting the proposed Joshua-Fury event, with both fighters having signed separate contracts with the company.
Joshua’s agreement reportedly requires the fight to take place in the UK, while Sela and broadcaster Netflix are understood to favour staging the contest at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Eddie Hearn had been renegotiating the venue details, and hopes of bringing the fight to Wembley were boosted after London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan publicly backed the idea. Hearn subsequently revealed that discussions over staging the bout in the UK had re-opened.
According to the BBC, Sela has contacted the London mayor’s office in recent weeks regarding a potential Wembley event, although no further progress has been made since last week.
Hearn had previously hoped an announcement could be made this week, but Fury’s latest comments suggest the situation remains unresolved.
A Wembley fight could potentially take place in the early hours of the morning to accommodate the large US television audience.
For now, Fury’s call-out of Usyk has raised fresh questions over whether the long-awaited Joshua fight is still on track or whether negotiations have reached a breaking point.
