Frank Warren has ruled out the possibility of fans finally getting to see an all-British heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in 2024.
A domestic dust-up between the pair has been discussed for several years in a fight many consider to be one of the biggest that boxing has to offer.
Fury edged past Francis Ngannou in their huge crossover clash last Saturday in Saudi Arabia, but was knocked down in the third round by the boxing novice and failed to impress throughout the 10-round bout.
Fury had been expected to cruise past Ngannou before facing Oleksandr Usyk in an undisputed fight December 23.
However, after Fury was pushed all the way by Ngannou, with some fans believing the former UFC heavyweight champion was ‘robbed’ by the judges, Eddie Hearn called for the Usyk fight to be scrapped so that the ‘Gypsy King’ could take on Joshua instead.
“Forget Fury vs Usyk, no-one is interested. Just give us Fury against AJ. Joshua will knock Tyson Fury out inside six rounds. Make the fight, otherwise we’ll never get it,” he told Matchroom’s YouTube channel.
Despite Hearn’s plea for Fury and Joshua to finally meet in the ring, Warren is adamant that his fighter will honour his commitment to face Usyk next.
The Hall of Fame boxing promoter insists Joshua has turned down offers in the past, and is now out of the title picture.
“No. He (Joshua) didn’t want to fight him last December. We made the offer. So you know where he is now. He’s at the back of that long queue,” Warren told Mail Sport when asked if Fury will fight Joshua in 2024.
“They were not interested in fighting for a world title having fought twice against Usyk and been beaten twice. He didn’t want to fight for a world title, otherwise he would have taken that opportunity when it was offered to him.”
Joshua has picked up two wins in 2023 as he looks to get his career back on track after consecutive defeats to Usyk.
The former two-time world champion looks to be trying to position himself for a future fight with Fury, but Warren has pointed out that potential rematches with Usyk and Ngannou mean Joshua will not be considered as an opponent any time soon.
