For more than a decade, British heavyweight boxing has revolved around a fight that has never happened.
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are at the heart of one of boxing’s biggest modern rivalries.
While the pair have never actually shared the ring, they have come close on several occasions.
Their feud has never been defined by a single moment, but instead by timing, missed opportunities, and a constant battle for heavyweight supremacy in Britain and beyond.
As both men rose through the ranks, won world titles, and endured setbacks, the prospect of an undisputed showdown only grew more intense.
It is a complex story, so we’ve broken it down below…
2010
When the pair first sparred, Fury was already an emerging professional, while Joshua was still an inexperienced amateur in the early stages of his development.
A few weeks after their session, Fury told the BBC about Joshua: “He’s red hot, him, he’s very good.
“To be honest with you, I thought to myself, ‘I’m only going to take it easy as he’s an amateur and we probably won’t spar again if I go mad.’
“He’s rushed out at me, he threw a one-two and a left hook, and I slipped.
“I thought, ‘He’s not that good, I’m going to take my time.’
“Then bash, he gives me a big uppercut right on the point of the chin.
“If I’d have had a bit of a weak chin like David Price, I’d have been knocked out for a month.
“He’s very, very good and he’s only young, 20, watch out for that name – Anthony Joshua – he is one prospect for the future.”
2012
Two years later, Joshua validated that prediction by winning super-heavyweight gold at the London 2012 Olympics.
However, Fury remained further ahead in his professional development at that stage, sitting at 20-0.
‘The Gypsy King’ was already holding the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles after defeating Derek Chisora the previous year.
2015
Fury ultimately broke through at the elite level by upsetting Wladimir Klitschko via unanimous decision in a stunning performance in Düsseldorf.
That victory made him the unified WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion and propelled him into global stardom overnight, while Joshua followed developments from the UK.
Not long after, Joshua climbed to British and Commonwealth title level by knocking out Dillian Whyte, extending his unbeaten professional record to 15-0.
From that point on, Joshua emerged as the clear front-runner for a blockbuster all-British showdown with Fury.
2016
Boxing politics soon saw Fury stripped of his IBF title after winning it, opening the door for Anthony Joshua to step in.
Little-known American Charles Martin then picked up the vacant belt and agreed to defend it against Joshua in the UK.
While Fury had taken three years to progress from British-level opposition to world championship status, Joshua made that same leap in just his very next fight.
The move paid off immediately, as Joshua stopped Martin in two rounds, and Britain suddenly found itself with two reigning heavyweight world champions.
However, that moment of balance did not last, as Fury’s life began to unravel.
He struggled with mental health issues and substance misuse, and was ultimately declared medically unfit to fight, forcing his rematch with Wladimir Klitschko to be cancelled.
At the same time, UKAD launched an investigation into him over elevated levels of nandrolone found in a previous drug test.
2017
With Fury sidelined from the sport, his WBA and WBO titles were eventually vacated, while Klitschko looked to rebuild his position in world title contention.
The circumstances then fell into place for the WBA to sanction Joshua vs Klitschko for the vacant belt, alongside Joshua’s IBF title.
In a dramatic, historic showdown at Wembley Stadium in front of 90,000 fans, Joshua stopped Klitschko in a thrilling contest to unify the belts.
After the victory, Joshua immediately called out Fury in his post-fight interview, marking the first direct public challenge between the two.
However, a potential clash remained out of reach, with Fury out of shape at the time and reportedly weighing around 25 stone (350 lbs).
2018
Everything shifted the following year again as Fury launched his comeback.
He settled his dispute with UKAD through an agreement that led to a backdated suspension, clearing the way for his return to professional boxing.
At the same time, Joshua strengthened his position by adding the WBO title after defeating Joseph Parker, meaning he now held three of Fury’s former belts.
Fury then restarted his career with two relatively low-key fights against modest opposition, while Joshua turned his attention to the final major heavyweight title held by Deontay Wilder.
However, negotiations between the Joshua and Wilder camps quickly descended into chaos, and the proposed fight eventually collapsed.
Instead, Fury stepped in and agreed to face Wilder, nearly taking the victory but ultimately settling for a controversial draw that left the heavyweight title picture unresolved.
2019
The leading heavyweights went in different directions the following year, although Fury still secured an agreement to face Wilder in a 2020 rematch.
Joshua suffered a major setback in the meantime with a shock defeat to Ruiz Jr, before quickly bouncing back to win the rematch and regain his titles.
Later that year, Joshua and Fury briefly connected over FaceTime in a moment captured for an ITV documentary.
In the clip, Joshua asked Fury: “When are we fighting?”
Fury laughed and replied: “When are we fighting? Behave yourself.”
AJ correctly predicted: “It sounds like 2021.” Before Fury concluded: “I only called you up to say hello.”
2020
Fury’s emphatic knockout win over Wilder at the start of 2020 saw him reclaim a share of the heavyweight crown, meaning he and Joshua were both champions once again, as they had been in 2016.
This time, however, no other fighters held the remaining major belts, which made an undisputed clash between the two feel increasingly inevitable.
Even when the coronavirus pandemic brought boxing to a halt, negotiations continued to gather pace.
For the first time, representatives from both camps entered formal talks and agreed on financial terms for a two-fight deal set for 2021.
The long-running rivals also came face-to-face in Marbella for the first time in around a decade, with Fury personally wishing Joshua luck ahead of his fight with Kubrat Pulev.
Joshua then backed up that support by knocking out Pulev later that year to close out 2020 in dominant fashion.
2021
Following Joshua’s victory over Pulev, negotiations intensified to secure the fight.
A deal was reached, with Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury officially confirmed for the undisputed WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles.
Although when Wilder exercised a rematch clause, Fury had to pursue a third bout with the American instead.
While Fury won his outing against Wilder, by that time Joshua had lost his heavyweight world titles to Oleksandr Usyk.
2022
In late 2022, the rivalry was briefly reignited when Fury publicly called out Joshua, prompting another round of negotiations between the two camps.
However, despite renewed optimism around a long-awaited showdown, talks once again collapsed by December 2022.
With both sides unable to agree on financial terms and deadlines, bringing yet another potential blockbuster fight to a halt.
2023
The rivalry soon spilt onto social media, with both fighters exchanging regular insults.
Fury dismissed Joshua as a “bodybuilder” and repeatedly questioned his toughness, while Joshua fired back by criticising Fury’s inactivity and the way he handled negotiations.
Despite mounting pressure from fans for the fight to finally happen, no agreement was ever reached, and the showdown once again failed to materialise.
2024 – Now
Both fighters shifted their focus to separate opponents as they looked to rebuild momentum in their careers.
Joshua put together a series of wins to re-establish himself at the top level, while Fury added more title defences and high-profile fights to his resume.
However, the rivalry stayed unresolved, and although the long-awaited fight remained a theoretical possibility, it grew increasingly uncertain as both careers moved in different directions.
Now
Even at this stage of their careers, the rivalry between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury remains one of boxing’s biggest unanswered questions.
After more than a decade of back-and-forth, the two heavyweights are once again edging towards a potential deal.
Following Fury’s call-out of Joshua in the immediate aftermath of his win over Arslanbek Makhmudov this weekend, anticipation has surged once again, with fans hoping the long-awaited showdown may finally be close to becoming reality.
Want to get the latest boxing news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.
