British boxing legend Lennox Lewis insists a deal for Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury to finally meet in the ring is ‘signed’ for 2026.
Joshua secured a stoppage win over Jake Paul in their grossly mismatched Miami showdown on Friday night.
Paul frustrated the two-time heavyweight champion in the early rounds, keeping his distance and refusing to engage before the fight ended in vicious fashion in the sixth round.
After slowing the American down with crushing body shots, ‘AJ’ finished him with a vicious right that broke Paul’s jaw.
After the fight, Joshua turned his attention to Fury.
Joshua was fighting for the first time in 15 months in Florida, his first fight back since his devastating knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois having also undergone elbow surgery in that time.
But now there is just one man in his sights with Joshua taking aim at Fury in his post-fight interview, demanding ‘The Gypsy King’ talk with his fists.
‘I had a 15 month layoff, we shook off the cobwebs,’ Joshua said.
‘If Tyson is as serious as he thinks he is, if he wants to put down his Twitter fingers and put on some gloves, and come and fight in the ring, take a challenge, step in the ring with me next if you’re a real bad boy, don’t give all that talking, AJ this, AJ that, let’s see you in the ring and talk with your fists.,’ Joshua said.
Lewis, part of the Netflix broadcast team on the night, insisted the Battle of Britain remains the hottest ticket in the country, suggesting a deal to make it happen is already done.
‘It’s the fight we are waiting for,’ Lewis said.
‘Both are talking about it, the fight has been signed, so that is what we are waiting for next. Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, one of the biggest fights in British history, it is going to happen.’
Joshua vs Fury has fallen by the wayside countless times over the years. It had been hoped the two would meet with world title gold on the line but with both losing their titles in recent years and not immediately in line for another shot at gold, any bout is likely to be a non-championship affair.
While both men appear to be past their best, the fight still promises to be the biggest in British boxing.
‘We want the Tyson Fury fight. That’s the biggest fight in boxing,’ Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn added.
‘Respect to Jake Paul, he did a great job. 2026, back to the real business. Tyson Fury and the world heavyweight championship.’