Tyson Fury knows the easiest path to Anthony Joshua’s doorstep but it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see Fury take the road less travelled.
Fury is set to make his return to the ring in the coming months, having seen his ban backdated and his licence reinstated, all while shedding the considerable weight he’d put on since his last outing.
The former heavyweight champion has teased a massive announcement this week and showed off his slimmed down physique, but fight fans are none the wiser about Fury’s comeback opponent.
The most lucrative bout for Fury would undoubtedly be an all-British showdown with Joshua but that seems to be some way away with ‘AJ’ eager to unify the division in 2018 and ‘2 Fast’ yet to prove that he’s shaken off any ring rust which must have accumulated since 2015.
However, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has offered up a way for Fury to fast-track his way into the biggest fight in the heavyweight division.
The Matchroom boss has claimed that Fury, who remains without an official promoter for his comeback at the time of writing, would be best served to join forces with Hearn.
“There have been a lot of rumours that he will join up with us. That’s not true, as far as I know,” Hearn told Sky Sports.
@EddieHearn please stop useing my name on a daily basis to build AJ vs Parker, you have had your chance to make me vs AJ & declined many times! I've already told you it will be on my terms & the split will be 60/40 my end, see you summer/autumn 2019 .
— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) January 25, 2018
“We’re not close to any kind of agreement. We’ve had some conversations. I think he’s talking to [other promoters] right now.
“If he comes with us, there’s a very straightforward road into a lot of heavyweight fights. Anthony Joshua, Dillian Whyte, Tony Bellew.
“Ultimately the grand prize of Joshua because that is a huge fight.”