The world heavyweight champion of the World Boxing Council (WBC) Tyson Fury gave this Saturday an ultimatum to his compatriot Anthony Joshua to accept a fight between the two before Monday, in a video published through his social networks.
Source: AFP
In mid-September, Joshua’s entourage, former WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion (belts he lost to the Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk, who beat him twice), announced that he accepted the conditions imposed by Fury to fight, on all the fact of accepting 40% of the overall price of the contract.
But since then the 32-year-old has not signed anything and Fury (34) is impatient.
“I was optimistic about three weeks ago, but it shouldn’t take that long to sign a contract,” the ‘Gispy King’ complained in a video posted on the Twitter account of his promoter, Queensberry Promotions.
“If (the signing) is not done before Monday, we move on to something else. I’m not going to wait forever for a guy who has lost three of his last five fights. He is already lucky that it offers him a worldwide opportunity,” he added.
His promoter, the experienced Frank Warren, was more optimistic in statements to BT Sport, explaining that both parties will meet on Monday. “I’m looking forward to working out what I think is just a handful of details to work out, not on our side, but on their side.”
“We hope they respect their word,” he concluded.
Fury had proposed to the organization “a battle of Britain” between the two British boxers after the Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk announced that he would not accept a new fight before next year.
Usyk defeated Joshua on August 21, retaining the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles.
Fury, who had announced his retirement on his 34th birthday last month, decided to offer Joshua “the opportunity” to face him for the WBC title.
The two British boxing stars have never met.
