- Anthony Joshua has told Tyson Fury to start fight negotiations
- AJ has asked his longtime rival to accept a fight “this year”
- The 35-year-old is confident that a fight between the couple can finally be resolved.
Anthony Joshua has called on Tyson Fury to make a successful Battle of Britain heavyweight clash between the pair a reality “this year”, as a refreshed AJ insists he has taken time to “heal”.
It has been two months of self-healing for Joshua, who upon being knocked out by Daniel Dubois while trying to become a three-time heavyweight champion in October faced calls to quit the sport.
However, the London-born superstar has no plans to throw in the towel on his career just yet and has vowed to do everything he can to make a fight with rival Fury finally happen this year.
Both fighters appear short of title opportunities as we enter the year 2025 after Joshua lost to Dubois and Fury was again defeated by Oleksandr Usyk in the pair's heavyweight title rematch late last year.
Finally, agreeing to a fight between the duo now could be the best option for both to get another big payday heading into their final years at the top of the sport.
While a matchup between AJ and Gypsy King doesn't have the same appeal and interest it did when they both held title belts, it would still generate widespread acclaim, with Saudi Arabia being a likely destination for the fight.
Anthony Joshua has called on Tyson Fury to make a successful Battle of Britain heavyweight clash between the pair a reality “this year”.
Fury has previously hinted that a fight with career rival AJ could happen before the duo retire.
Fury is yet to decide his next opponent after losing his rematch against Oleksandr Usyk last month.
Joshua, 35, has now pushed Fury to enter negotiations over a heavyweight showdown, revealing at The Ring Awards: “After my last fight, I took some time off. I let my body heal, in what I'm still working on.
'I turned down some business opportunities so I could focus on the sport which requires mental pressure, not just physical things, so I let my body heal physically and the mental aspect I turned down some things that exhaust me mentally.
“I went away with the family, which is always good, and I came back for a big 2025. It's a fight I want to see because I'm a boing fan, so I want that fight to be on the way.”
“When I am in the local environment everyone always asks me, the reason why I decided to do some interesting things is that I don't have many years ahead of me, I have more years behind me, not that man in front of me, I want to leave the game with a bang.
Joshua was defeated by Daniel Dubois in October in his bid to become a three-time world champion.
Joshua, 35, has now put pressure on Fury to open negotiations over a heavyweight showdown.
'Be extravagant, great character, have fun and go to the big fights. Tyson Fury is one of them. Evertone always asks me when you will fight Fury. As a wrestler, it's up to me to deliver and that's why I say it has to happen this year.
'I think we can definitely make this fight happen. These conversations get the ball rolling,' Joshua said.
Joshua's next opponent is yet to be announced, but if a summer fight with Fury is agreed, the pair will likely not face anyone else beforehand.
Meanwhile, Dubois is attempting to agree a heavyweight unification with the undefeated Usyk as the Ukrainian waits to decide his next opponent after recording back-to-back wins over Fury.