Will Tyson Fury fight Anthony Joshua? Unpacking the Gypsy King’s potential next opponents

Tyson Fury made easy work of Arslanbek Makhmudov in his return to the ring at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this month, setting up a bout with Anthony Joshua that looks years in the making. 

The 37‑year‑old immediately called AJ out once he outclassed Makhmudov over 12 rounds, the Russian unable to keep up with the size and speed of the Gypsy King. 

Victory for Fury now looks to set up an inevitable bout with Joshua, rumoured for late November, with Eddie Hearn expected to negotiate after the two failed to reach an agreement years ago for a battle of the Brits.

Many believe the fight should have happened four or five years ago. Back then it would have felt like a true peak‑level undisputed‑style heavyweight clash. 

Now it is more of a huge legacy‑and‑money fight between two men who have both changed, aged, and taken big losses to Oleksandr Usyk. 

The betting odds would still likely favour Fury, and fans would still want it to happen, but the shine has dulled since the days when both were unbeaten and the fight felt like a genuine crown‑decider.

Speaking to Casinos.com, a platform that reviews sportsbooks and compares the top 50 UK online casinos, one boxing fan said: “I think the pair are probably past their primes now, but this is one for the punters. Neither of them are at Usyk’s level, but they could still sell out an arena. 

“There’s clearly some bad blood between Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren too, but you’d imagine both sides would be willing to park their egos and make the money this time around.”

Back in 2022 and 2023, it fell through because the negotiations dragged on and the deadline‑driven deal never got signed in time. If that happens again, Fury will surely be lining up other opponents by the end of the summer. 

You never feel the Gypsy King is truly ever retired, and some of these opponents could invite him back into the ring. Let’s assess the other options.

Daniel Dubois

WBO Heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois only really comes back into the Fury picture if he comes through Fabio Wardley first, and that fight next month is the one that will tell us plenty about where he stands by the end of the year. 

If he wins ‘Don’t Blink’, the appeal is obvious: a big‑punching British heavyweight, plenty of ticket‑selling power, and a fight that would feel fresh even if Joshua drifts again. 

Fury would still be the more seasoned operator, the man who’s seen it all and knows how to control distance and pace against aggressive pressure fighters, but Dubois’ power means there’s always some danger attached and a title fight opens up a lot of conversations. 

Dubois has rebuilt himself since the Usyk loss, and a win over Wardley would cement him as a legitimate domestic threat rather than just a name with a puncher’s chance. 

It’s the kind of stand‑in that still has proper event value, the sort of fight that fills Wembley or without needing the Joshua hype machine. 

Oleksandr Usyk

Usyk remains the bigger‑name stand‑in, but he has to get past Rico Verhoeven first, which keeps the whole thing in the “possible but not likely” bracket. 

If it did happen, though, it would give Fury a chance to settle the score after being outboxed in their previous meetings. The storyline sells itself, redemption for Fury, closure for the rivalry, and enough history to make it feel like more than just another late‑career heavyweight fight. Even now, it would still have major box‑office pull.

The problem is that Usyk has already beaten Fury twice, and convincingly. A third fight would need to offer something new, whether that’s a different tactical approach from Fury or simply the narrative of a veteran refusing to accept defeat. 

Fury’s team would argue he was unlucky in the first fight and depleted in the second, but the scorecards don’t lie. Usyk schooled him on both occasions, and there’s no reason to believe a third meeting would go any differently unless Fury makes significant adjustments.

Jake Paul

Jake Paul would be the wildcard and the least likely to be seen as a proper heavyweight opponent for Fury. 

The size gap alone makes it more of a spectacle than a serious contest, but that’s almost the point. 

The noise, the streaming numbers, and the crossover attention would all be enormous. It would be marketed as a David‑vs‑Goliath event, even if most fans would know exactly what they were getting. For pure publicity, it would be huge. For credibility, not so much.

Paul has built a career out of fighting carefully selected opponents and losing to anyone who can actually box. But he’s more of a showman and the way he could rattle Fury in the press could end badly for the brash American, especially after the state of his jaw against AJ.

Fury would toy with him, the fight would trend globally, and Paul would collect a massive payday regardless of the result. It’s cynical, but it’s also smart business.

The appeal for Fury is obvious. He’s never been shy about chasing money fights, and Paul represents a payday with minimal risk. The downside is that it would further erode what’s left of his sporting credibility, positioning him as a showman rather than a serious fighter. Then again, Fury has always straddled that line, and at 37, with multiple losses to Usyk on his record, perhaps he’s earned the right to cash in without worrying about legacy.

It seems like an avenue Fury will explore at some point in his career anyway. There’s too much money to turn those fights down, and Fury has never been one to let boxing purists dictate his next move.

The Road Ahead

The Joshua fight remains the most likely outcome, the one that makes the most sense commercially and the one that both camps have been circling for years. 

Joshua would still be a massive fight for Fury because, even after the Dubois defeat, he has rebuilt some momentum with solid performances against Francis Ngannou and Paul. 

He knows he probably only has a couple of big nights left at the top level, so a fight like this would give him the chance to chase one more statement win and remind everyone how good he can be.

The Gypsy King has always done things his way, and there’s no reason to believe that will change now. Whether it’s Joshua in November or someone else by the end of the year, Fury will fight again. The question is whether it will be for glory, money, or simply because he can’t stay away from the ring.