BOXING

Anthony Joshua now ‘closer’ to fighting Tyson Fury as ‘pathway opens’ for Brit to become world champion again

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Anthony Joshua has been backed to have a close fight with Tyson Fury if they ever lock horns in the ring.

Simon Jordan believes the gap between the two Brits has decreased and says the pathway has opened for Joshua to become world champion again.

British boxing fans are desperate to see Joshua and Fury battle it out.

The bout has been mooted for several years but has so far not materialized, with the two fighters taking different paths.

Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury
Anthony Joshua has been backed to have a close fight with Tyson Fury

Joshua suffered back-to-back defeats against Oleksandr Usyk to put a serious dent in his professional record.

The two-time former world champion has won three fights since last April as he begins to reestablish his name on the heavyweight scene.

Ahead of the March 8 bout against Francis Ngannou, Jordan believes there are still question marks over Joshua due to the level of opponent he has recently faced.

He said on the talkBOXING podcast: “Joshua dealt with Otto Wallin.

“But what we haven’t learned about this ‘Joshua 2.0’ is whether he can take a shot and come back from it in the way he had to against Wladimir Klitschko.

“That’s the overriding question.”

Spencer Oliver then asked Jordan if he thinks Joshua will win a world title again.

Jordan believes he will but isn’t convinced he would beat Fury.

He said: “Yes. I think the pathway’s been cleared for him.

“Does he win a world title against Tyson Fury? I’m not sure. I don’t think so.”

But Jordan was then pressed on whether a Joshua-Fury fight would be ‘closer’ than he originally thought.

He insisted it would, purely because of the level Fury showed the last time he stepped into the ring against Ngannou.

Jordan replied: “Only because of what we’ve seen from Fury in his recent fight.

“And we’ve seen people suggesting the reason why he’s meeting people in the middle of the ring is because he can’t move about anymore.

“The Fury we’ve seen against Dillian Whyte and Deontay Wilder – that Fury beats Joshua.

“The Fury we’ve got now may not do it, but I still think he does.”

Anthony Joshua and Otto Wallin
Anthony Joshua beat Otto Wallin in December

Joshua lost his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO titles when he was beaten by Usyk at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September 2021.

Jordan believes the 34-year-old can become world champion again, even if he doesn’t face either Fury or Usyk, pinpointing Filip Hrgovic as a future target.

Hrgovic looks likely to fight for the IBF heavyweight title this year, which will be vacated due to the Fury-Usyk rematch clause.

Jordan added: “But I go on with your question of, ‘Do I think he [Joshua] wins a world title?’

“Does he win a world title against Oleksandr Usyk? I think Usyk does him again.

“Now, because a pathway’s been cleared, does he win a world title against Filip Hrgovic – who I think is a strong fighter but not a real risk for Joshua compared to what Fury and Usyk are – yes I now do because the landscape has changed…

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will battle it out in February

“Hrgovic lost to Zhilei Zhang and got the result, and wasn’t particularly impressive against Demsey McKean.

“And in his most recent fight against Mark De Mori, well f*** off, it wasn’t a fight for him, was it?

“I think Hrgovic is a decent fighter, but there’s levels in this game and Joshua is on a different level to Hrgovic.”

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