Tyson Fury challenges Anthony Joshua to fight him in his first fight back after layoff: “I don’t need any warm-ups”

Lineal heavyweight champ Tyson Fury refuses to let up in his goading of WBA and IBF heavyweight ruler Anthony Joshua. Fury, expected to get his licence to box back this month, has taken to social media (again) to call Joshua out. Fury, who changes his mind almost as fast as he punches, says one day how he will look to box a tune-up or warm-up fight upon his ring return, and then the next day he says he doesn’t need any such thing.

Well, today, in the past hour, Fury has declared once again how he doesn’t need any tune-up, that he can “come off the couch and beat up on Anthony Joshua.” Fury has issued a formal challenge to AJ, calling him to meet him in his very first return fight, thus giving the fans the fight they all want to see this summer.

“As a sporting challenge I lay down the challenge for@anthonyjoshua to fight me my first fight back in over 2.5 years! I’m the best heavyweight on the planet, come prove I’m not? The ball is in your court don’t let your fans down CHAMP,” Fury wrote on twitter.

And:

“I’m that good I don’t need any warm-ups I can come off the couch and beat up on @anthonyjoshua don’t run your big arse in the bush, let’s fight this summer!!!”

Despite Fury’s challenge it doesn’t seem very likely that he and AJ will clash as soon as this summer. Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has made it clear how Fury must prove he can still fight at the elite level by taking at least one return fight and coming through it okay. Also, Joshua is reportedly 95% close to fighting WBO heavyweight champ Joseph Parker at the end of March. The time frame just doesn’t work for as massive a fight as what Fury-Joshua would be; what with the promotional work that would take place ahead of the fight, over a number of months.

And what if Joshua were to lose to Parker? No, Fury needs to box that return fight – against maybe a Shannon Briggs or maybe a Manuel Charr – and then bang the drum for a Joshua showdown for real. This one should happen and hopefully it will happen, but next year seems more likely.