13 January 2025 , 14:01
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Anthony Joshua is targeting a long-awaited fight with Tyson Fury this year and he attempted to confront his rival.
Tyson Fury left Anthony Joshua’a call-out unanswered at the weekend after snubbing a glittering boxing awards night.
The Ring Magazine ceremony was held in London over the weekend and almost every big name from the world of boxing was in attendance. And Joshua was hoping to confront Fury at the awards, having posted an image of the former world heavyweight champion on his Instagram story with the caption: "Looking for this man tonight @ringmagazine".
But Fury did not make an appearance, despite the fact that his first fight against Oleksandr Usyk won the event of the year award. Boxing fans are hoping that Joshua and Fury will finally face each other this year and AJ says he wants to "deliver" that fight. "After my last fight I took some time out," Joshua said at the awards. "I let my body heal, which I’m still working on now, and I declined some business opportunities so I could focus on the sport, which takes off mental pressure as well as physically.
"I went away with family which is always good and we’re back again for 2025 and I feel good. It’s a fight [Joshua vs Fury] I want to see, because I’m a fan of boxing, so I want to get that fight underway. When I’m in the local gym everyone is asking me, and the reason I decided to do some interesting stuff (on social media) is because I haven’t got many years ahead of me. I’ve had more years behind me.
"So what I want to do is leave the game with a bang and make an impact. Be outlandish, a great character, have fun with it while we’re doing it and go for the big fights. Tyson Fury is one of them. Every time I see people they say: ’When you fighting Fury?’ The Irish community, English community, Nigerian community, everyone is asking me the same question. As a fighter, it’s up to me to deliver. It has to happen this year."
And Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn is hopeful the fight will take place at Wembley Stadium. When asked if the iconic venue has a date available for a showdown between Joshua and Fury, Hearn replied: "Yes. We’re looking to get back in the ring in May or June.
"If it ended up being July, it doesn’t really matter. I still think it rests on Tyson Fury. Until the water settles on the defeat and where he’s at mentally and what he wants to do that’s where we’re really going to find out. Because when he looks at the options, what else is he going to do and who else is he going to fight?"