“He’s got 12 good rounds under his belt,” Warren said to talkSport Boxing. “Got the ring rust out of his system and hopefully we’re going to set up the big fight now.
“It’s not on, is it? Because it’s not been agreed. He wants it, Tyson. He made that very clear. You don’t have to ask me. You have to ask the other guy which is AJ. From Tyson’s point of view he’d like to get out in August, September. No more warm-ups. If he don’t want to do it then Tyson will fight somebody else.”
That big fight remains the long-discussed clash with Anthony Joshua, but Warren quickly cooled any suggestion that it is close to being finalized. From Warren’s perspective, the situation is simple. Fury is ready.
There is at least a loose timeframe from Fury’s side, with Warren indicating a preferred return in late summer. Warren also shut down the idea of further tune-ups. If Joshua does not engage, Fury moves on.
On Fury’s showing, Warren described a controlled performance that improved as the rounds went on, noting that Makhmudov’s size and physical approach presented its own kind of test after a long layoff.
“He did what he had to do. In the later rounds, he was catching him with good shots. He was in command,” said Warren.
The message overall was simple. Fury has done his part by returning and getting rounds in. The next move, and whether the biggest fight in British boxing finally happens, now rests with Joshua.
Fury claimed immediately after the Makhmudov fight that he has already signed his half of the contract. However, Eddie Hearn countered that by explaining Joshua didn’t enter the ring for a face-off because “nothing is signed.”
From Joshua’s perspective, getting in the ring without a finalized deal is just providing free promotion for a fight that might not happen.
With the fight likely involving Netflix, who broadcasted the Makhmudov return, and Joshua’s long-standing ties to DAZN, the who gets what of the streaming rights is a massive hurdle.
Reports suggest that while a 60/40 split for the first fight might be agreed upon, the terms for a potential rematch, and where that fight would take place, remain a point of contention.
Joshua is coming off a car accident late last year that reportedly killed two of his teammates. While he’s back in training, his camp may feel he needs a proper outing before jumping into a career-defining clash with Fury.
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