Tyson Fury Opens As Huge Betting Favorite Against Anthony Joshua For Potential December Clash
The biggest heavyweight boxing clash of 2022 could take place at the end of December as Tyson Fury, and Anthony Joshua are in discussions for an end-of-the-year showdown that will take place in Saudi Arabia.
Tyson ‘The Gypsy King’ Fury decided to come out of a short-lived retirement and initially wanted to fight Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk, the WBO, WBA, and IBF champion. Usyk defeated Anthony Joshua in their rematch by decision and was the obvious choice for the Gypsy King to fight on coming out of retirement.
Fury wanted to fight in December, and Usyk said he wasn’t ready to fight in December and wanted the fight pushed to 2023. Fury, who loves to call the shots, pushed Usyk aside and called out Anthony Joshua (AJ) for an end-of-the-year showdown, with Joshua readily accepted.
Bookmakers Have Fury As Massive Betting Favorite
While Usyk is the WBO, WBA, and IBF champion, there is no doubt who is the biggest star in boxing in the heavyweight division. Tyson Fury has a massive fan following, and the 34-year-old is undefeated with a 32-0-1 record, with 23 of those wins coming by way of KO.
Bet365 has Fury as a huge betting favorite with odds of 1.22, while AJ is the underdog with odds of 4.0. Those odds would have been a lot closer a couple of years ago, as AJ was considered the top dog in the heavyweight division. However, AJ is coming off back-to-back losses to Usyk and has shown multiple weaknesses in his game since losing his felt to Andy Ruiz Jr.
Fury has gone from strength to strength, showcasing impressive performances in his trilogy with Deontay Wilder and his power in his last fight against Dillian Whyte in April 2022. So it’s no surprise to see the undefeated Fury as the betting favorite. Given the short time frame for AJ to prepare, it is hard to see AJ fixing all the holes in his game and posing a serious threat to the Gypsy King.
That being said, anything can happen in boxing, and you can never write off the former WBO, WBA, and IBF champion Anthony Joshua.
60-40 Contract Allegedly On The Table
While boxing fans are eager to see the two Brits clash in the middle of a boxing ring, the fight is not a done deal as discussions between the two sides are still ongoing. Fury’s promoters are reported to have sent a contract to AJ’s camp with a 60-40 split since Fury is the A-side.
AJ is yet to sign the contract, and Tyson Fury isn’t impressed with the delay. He issued an ultimatum to AJ’s camp recently and said that if the contract isn’t signed shortly, he would move on from AJ and look to find another opponent.
Fury made it clear that he wasn’t willing to negotiate on new dates as he is adamant about fighting in December, most likely December 3rd. Fury, who never minces words, said AJ has lost 3 out of his last 5 fights and should be grateful that he has the opportunity to fight him and take it with both hands.
If this fight does not happen in December 2022, it is highly unlikely that boxing fans will get to see these two great British heavyweights fight again. AJ has shown a decline in his performance during the last two years and does not appear to be at his best anymore. Boxing fans love to see two fighters in their prime battle it out, and it looks like that chance to see Fury vs. AJ is slipping away quickly with time.
Boxing fans have wanted to see Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao for years, but the two camps could never reach an agreement. When the two sides finally agreed on a contract, both fighters were past their prime, and the fight turned out to be a letdown for the fans. If Fury vs. AJ does not take place by December 2022, it’s probably best for the fans that it does not take place at a later stage.
Usyk Offers To Train AJ
One of the reasons why AJ’s camp is concerned with the December date is because it gives AJ very little time to train for Fury. Usyk, who was the last man to defeat AJ, offered to come and train with AJ to help him prepare for the Fury fight. However, AJ’s camp is yet to confirm if they will accept the offer from Usyk.
By the end of the month, we should know if Fury vs. AJ will take place in December 2022 in Saudi Arabia.
