Anthony Joshua has been 'left in a vacuum' and may never get Tyson Fury fight now Oleksandr Usyk clash is signed, unless he KOs Deontay Wilder, says S

04/10/2023 11:39

Simon Jordan believes Anthony Joshua needs to score a devastating early KO of Deontay Wilder in order to earn a fight with Tyson Fury.

The talkSPORT host has insisted AJ’s been ‘left in a vacuum’ by last week’s news that Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have now signed contracts for an undisputed heavyweight world title fight in the coming months.

Earlier on the same day, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn had confirmed that a proposed Saudi Arabia site deal to stage their planned showdown with Deontay Wilder, which he’d previously claimed was ‘locked in for December’, is now dead.

Representatives for AJ and Wilder remain in talks trying to salvage that fight in a different location in February or March.

However it’s irrefutable that Fury and Usyk have surpassed the pair by finalising their own Saudi site deal and signing it off months in advance.

Jordan said on talkSPORT’s talkBOXING Podcast: “It feels to me that this is a good day for boxing in terms of the unification fight that everyone says they want.

“The two best fighters in the world right now, we’re getting what we wanted.

“But Anthony Joshua gets left in a vacuum because I’m pretty sure there is this ambition from Joshua to fight Fury.

“And if Fury were to win this fight, which I think he will, I think there’s a distinct possibility that Fury will go, ‘That’s it, I’m done.’

“He [could go], ‘I’ve beaten Wilder, I’ve beaten Usyk who beat Joshua, I’ve beaten the man who beat the man, so what have I got to do besides throw you a bone?’

“And that puts a challenge on Anthony Joshua and the only way I think Anthony Joshua corrects that is if he fights Deontay Wilder and knocks him out very convincingly, very early in the fight.

“If he does something Fury couldn’t do, then it becomes a legacy discussion.”

Jordan continued: “I don’t think Fury is gonna give Joshua any leg-up, any opportunity, unless there’s a really, really good reason.

“Right now, beating Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius, and just being on the periphery of it all now, is not a reason for Fury to go, ‘I’ll tell you what – I’ll bring you into the light again.'”

Regarding how AJ’s team will have reacted to the news of Fury vs Usyk being signed, Jordan added: “I think there would have probably been a collective sign in the Joshua camp.

“It would be about, ‘This could be the end of our opportunity in heavyweight boxing. If this fella goes and beats Usyk, then there’s a distinct possibility, unless we do something to counteract that, that we’re not gonna get this fight. And we want this fight.'”

Time will tell if Joshua vs Wilder, and subsequently Joshua vs Fury, do indeed come to fruition.