Tyson Fury has declared he will not be fighting Anthony Joshua because “no contract has been signed” after his self-imposed 5 pm deadline on Monday.
Joshua said on Sunday he will sign the contract to fight Fury after the WBC champion issued an ultimatum if they are to put together their all-British heavyweight battle this year.
According to Skysports, Fury, who initially called for Joshua to sign the contract by Monday, returned to Instagram to state that Joshua had until 5 pm otherwise he will walk away from the deal.
But Fury later went on Instagram to say: “It’s official. D Day has come and gone. It’s gone past 5 pm Monday, no contract has been signed. It’s officially over for Joshua. He’s now out in the cold with the wolfpack. Forget about it. Idiot. Coward!”
He goes on to say: “I always knew you didn’t have the minerals to fight the Gypsy King. Good luck with your career, and your life.”
Joshua had assured Fury on Sunday that he would sign the contract, saying: “It’s not in my hands, it’s with the legal team. That’s why you hire lawyers. You know the history of boxing, make sure you get your legal terms right.
“Of course, I’m going to sign a contract. It’s just with some lawyers at the minute.”
Fury may still fight before the end of the year, but the undisputed showdown with WBO, WBA and IBF titlist Oleksandr Usyk will have to wait until next year.
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