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Anthony Joshua did not publicly accept Tyson Fury's challenge at ringside, opting for restraint instead. This decision reflects a likely lengthy negotiation process ahead between the two heavyweight boxers.
âDO YOU ACCEPT MY CHALLENGE???â Tyson Fury bellowed over the tope rope, the words tumbling down around Anthony Joshua at ringside. As many have noted, it felt very WWE. Joshua, for his part, wore a slight smirk, but he might as well have been biting his tongue.
In showing restraint and not explicitly accepting Furyâs âchallengeâ, Joshua disappointed the thousands of remaining fans in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and the many watching on Netflix, but âAJâ was right not to humour Fury in this moment.
There was more to the situation than some realised, as weâll get to shortly.
Firstly, Joshuaâs refusal to publicly accept the fight does not mean he is not going to face his fellow Briton. Joshuaâs point, in staying coy, was that a (likely-lengthy) negotiating stage will now ensue, and the heavyweight rivals have been here before.
Anthony Joshua, ringside for Tyson Furyâs latest win, was called out by the âGypsy Kingâ after the fight (Getty)
Furthermore, one might argue that Fury has been a greater obstacle to this super-fight than AJ ever has. There have been his five retirements, of course, and his ultimatums, one of which was so urgent that it even frustrated his own team.
So, on Saturday night, it was easy for Fury â fired up from his win over Arslanbek Makhmudov â to hold court in Tottenham and make the callout, to try to instigate a face-off. And the moment Joshua refused to bite, he appeared the villain.
It didnât help that his microphone wasnât working at first, but even once his words were audible, he was coy.
âTyson, you are a clout chaser,â he said. âIâve never had a problem getting in the ring with you. I punched you when we were kids. After watching you tonight, Iâd do it again. Iâll see you in that ring in due time.â Encouraging, then. But? âYou wonât tell me what to do. When youâre ready, you tell me your conditions, and Iâll tell you when Iâm ready. Iâm the landlord, remember that; you work for me.â
Clear in Joshuaâs words was that this fight is not yet signed, so there is an argument that Saturdayâs event should not have had such a focus on a post-fight face-off, anyway.
The first clue was the refusal by Joshuaâs promoter, Eddie Hearn, to enter the ring when called upon by Saudi matchmaker Turki Alalshikh. Earlier in the night, Alalshikh had said he wanted to announce the âbiggest fight in the history of Englandâ, but when the moment came, Hearn wore a similar smirk to Joshuaâs and stayed composed, refusing to budge. The fact that AJ followed suit suggested they were on the same page.
There was more awkwardness at the post-fight press conference, however, when Fury claimed he had signed âmonths agoâ before getting into further details â or a lack thereof.
Joshua with his promoter, Eddie Hearn, on Saturday (PA)
How many fights are in the deal he signed? âIt doesnât really matter how many fights it is, letâs just get one done,â he said, for example.
What about the purse split? âI donât know, Iâm not interested in all that bulls***. If he gets ÂŁ600m, good luck to him, and if I get 50p, good luck to me.â The financial element has been a sticking point for Fury before, mind, even with Oleksandr Usyk.
Would the fight(s) take place at Wembley? Furyâs promoter Frank Warren and manager Spencer Brown said no conversations had taken place over a venue, as negotiations werenât that far along.
Furthermore, Fury went from saying he only wants to fight Joshua to insisting: âI want three fights this year, no matter who it is.â
But one of the most fascinating strands to the eveningâs narrative came in the form of a tweet from Netflix, which said: âItâs happening. Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua. This autumn from the UK. LIVE only on Netflix.â
This was put to Fury, Warren and Brown, with the latter two appearing completely blindsided and suggesting that âmaybeâ the fight was in fact signed, then, from Joshuaâs side. Still, in a separate interview, Hearn said it was not.
Fury (left) was a comfortable but not especially impressive winner over Arslanbek Makhmudov (Reuters)
It was a mess, a confusing, deflating end to what should have been a triumphant Fury comeback (though his performance itself was similarly deflating, if one is to take a stern view).
In any case, the other element that shouldnât be overlooked is Joshuaâs ongoing grief at the passing of two of his close friends.
It was just four months ago that AJ was injured in a car crash in Nigeria, which killed his teammates Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. Yes, Joshua was quick to return to the gym, suggesting he was physically ready to train. Mentally? He was either ready or in need of a distraction or purpose.
Hearn recently said a summer return is on the cards for Joshua, which has been perceived as a warm-up for Fury. This writer said on Saturday that Joshua vs Fury should be made immediately, if it can be, but that was not meant as a dismissal of AJâs grief; it is just that, if Joshua is genuinely willing to box soon and a deal can be struck, the Fury fight must be next.
Based on Furyâs performance on Saturday, Joshua likely does not need a warm-up to be competitive against the âGypsy Kingâ. And when it comes to this mooted battle of former world champions, all you need is to believe that it will be competitive.
Anthony Joshua chose not to publicly accept Tyson Fury's challenge to avoid premature commitments, indicating that negotiations will likely take place.
Joshua's refusal suggests that a lengthy negotiation process is expected, which could delay any potential fight between the two heavyweight rivals.
Many fans were disappointed by Joshua's coy response, as they were expecting an immediate acceptance of the challenge at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Joshua and Fury have a history of negotiations that have previously stalled, making Joshua's cautious approach understandable in this context.

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