Gareth A. Davies doesn’t see Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury ever winning another heavyweight world title before they retire. Of the two, Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) has a better shot due to his power, speed, and willingness to continue fighting. At this point, AJ is the only one with any ambition to try to capture another world title.
Fury (36-2, 24 KOs) retired shortly after his second defeat against Oleksandr Usyk on December 21st. Many people see this as another one of the 36-year-old Gypsy King’s short-lived fake retirements because he likes money too much, and he’ll be bored sitting in his mansion getting fat.
Joshua’s Next Move
It’s worrisome that Joshua chose not to take the immediate rematch with Daniel Dubois after his fifth-round knockout loss on September 21st. The longer AJ waits, the less likely he is to have a shot of avenging his loss to become a three-time heavyweight champion.
Promoter Eddie Hearn had said Joshua had some injuries that he wanted to recover from, but that was a while ago, and it now looks like he’s waiting to see if Fury will come out of retirement. That’s not wise because Fury may stay out of the ring for as long as he did after his fight against Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.
“If he wins a shootout with Daniel Dubois, then he could win another world title again,” said Gareth A. Davies to Secondsout when asked if Anthony Joshua can ever win another heavyweight world title in his career. “It’s a tough one to call. I would say probably, no, like I don’t think Tyson Fury will win another world title again.
“I think we are witnessing a changing of the guard. Daniel Dubois and Moses Itauma are coming through. Joseph Parker is having his last few opportunities. I don’t see an appetite for these guys [Joshua and Fury] to go on two or three more fights. Maybe Fury only one more.
“He suffered a knockout in September to Daniel Dubois,” said Gareth about Joshua. “He laid out that he wants to fight Daniel Dubois and Tyson Fury in 2025. I would love to see him have a couple of more fights, but I think Eddie Hearn mentioned he’s struggling with it. He’s struggling with a comeback.
The Fight That Must Happen
Joshua should take a stay-busy fight to stay sharp while waiting to see if Fury returns to the ring in the summer. If he doesn’t, AJ should take the rematch with Dubois if he still holds the IBF title. Daniel defends against Joseph Parker next month on February 22nd in Riyadh.
“I don’t think he should walk away right now. He has opportunities to be in terrific fights. I think we should see Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. It’s a fight that completes the era. It would be a travesty if the two men don’t meet,” said Davies.
