Tyson Fury conserved energy in his comeback fight so that he could call out Anthony Joshua after the fight.

Joshua sat stony-faced close to the ring, initially refusing to reply, but the crowd were enthralled.

Joshua hadn’t seen much to terrify him in the Gypsy King’s routine win over Soviet man-mountain Arslanbek Makhmudov.

Fury was insistent, saying: ‘I challenge you, Anthony Joshua, to fight me, the Gypsy King, next. Do you accept my challenge?

‘Come on you big s***house, are we going to fight or not?’

Joshua finally replied: ‘Tyson, I’ve never had any problem getting in the ring with you. I punched you up when we were kids. And I’ll punch you up again.

‘You ain’t going to tell me what to do. I’ve been chasing you for 10 years. I’m the boss. I’m the landlord. You work for me.’

In the ring, Fury had staged a comfortable, carefully negotiated, virtually risk-free 12-round decision over Makhmudov.

Was it also clever? A performance more than good enough to tempt AJ into the ring.

Before the fight, an icy gale was gusting around the stadium as the fighters arrived, giving rise to the wry thought that it was fortunate there were no flyweights on the open-air card.

Fury had been in sparkling form all week. Four months of training and taking a lion for walks in the heat of Thailand had trimmed the belly and burnished his charm as well as his tan.

This was one happy camper returning to what he does best. He had gone so far as to encourage the giant Makhmudov to lift his own huge self off his feet at the main media event, to demonstrate the physical strength of his hulking Russian opponent.

It filled more seats, if perhaps not quite all the 68,000 – which was the sell-out target.

Saudi Arabian promoter/paymaster His Excellency Turki Alalshikh had said that he expects Fury to take the fight with Joshua ‘back here in London this year’.

Fury made his entrance to the strains of Blue Moon in honour of his late, great friend, Hatton the Hitman. When he disrobed he revealed the tribute ‘RIP Ricky’ emblazoned on his shorts.

True to his reputation as a fast starter, Makhmudov charged out to land the first two fistfuls of swinging punches. Fury rode them, as he does, and the computer beneath that shaven head began coming up with the answers as he boxed his man and then treated him to some big shots of his own.

Out came the jabs, as Fury began to assert his dominance. Not only his orthodox lefts, but some switch-hitting rights as the Russian began to look confused.

Makhmudov the bear wrestler was fittingly rough and wild but took at least as many hefty hits as he delivered in the fourth.

The wiles of Fury were prevailing on the inside as well. It wasn’t pretty but it wasn’t going to be against this brawler. So it continued, Fury’s jabs landing more often than the frustrated Russian’s swings.

A trio of uppercuts hinted at Tyson wanting to finish it. Especially when he had Makhmudov reeling on the ropes midway through the eighth.

Fury was back in the set routine in the ninth and 10th – with a little more wrestling thrown in. Makhmudov was forced on to his knees. Not for the first time.

Sensing restlessness in the crowd, Fury unleashed a flurry of uppercuts in the 11th.

The Russian looked ready to go, but was now in survival mode.

Who would have thought this would go to the last round? After a few more uppercuts to rattle the Russian, and a couple more right hooks for Fury to ride, to a victory as clear as the gaps in Tottenham’s defence.

Eleven rounds to one, surely – and from there to the real business of enticing Joshua to sign up for what will certainly be a sell-out.

After five failed attempts at retirement, Tyson Fury (35-2-1, 24 KOs) returned to the ring once again. At 37 years of age, the Gypsy King rejoined the circus and the race for world titles after defeating Arslanbek Makhmudov (21-3, 19 KOs) by a clear unanimous decision (120-108, 120, 108, 119-109)

Good performance from the ‘Gypsy King’, who showed in the packed Tottenham Hotspur stadium that the 16 weeks of camp have helped him to return with less rust than expected. It should be remembered that he had not been in a ring since his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024.

Fury, who had a nice touch by wearing the words ‘RIP Ricky’ (for his good friend Ricky Hatton) on the back of his shorts, dominated from the start against ‘The Lion’ Makhmudov. It was a fight between two giants, but undoubtedly the best boxing, as well as most of the best and most powerful punches, were the work of the Englishman. A dangerous Makhmudov started the fight well, and scored some hard rights, but Tyson Fury’s jabs and precise hooks determined who was going to be in charge.

From the eighth round onwards, the Russian tried to survive by grappling, which of course an experienced Fury took advantage of to work the ‘Lion’s’ side. The hooks and accurate uppercuts came from the Englishman with great clarity and perhaps some other opponent would have kissed the canvas, but Makhmudov stood his ground. In the tenth the Russian showed signs of being quite stiff and Fury pressed harder in search of the knockout. ‘Gypsy King’ persevered in the pressure, always with great mobility despite the inactivity. Great finish by the Briton, who worked this fight to give his opponent no chance.

After all these years, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are still on different pages.

Following Fury’s dominant victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it briefly felt like the moment had finally arrived when they might share common ground.

The Gypsy King leaned over the ropes and beckoned Joshua towards him. The rivalry suddenly felt alive again.

Joshua was not playing along with any mind games, though. Fury urged him to venture into the ring; Joshua stayed put. Another example of a subtle power struggle which has defined their history.

Joshua was not going to be hurried, but it seemed as though Team Fury – and the Saudi organisers – expected a different script. Before and immediately after the fight, Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Alalshikh, a major power-broker in modern boxing, was speaking as if the fight announcement was imminent.

Netflix, the broadcasters of Saturday night’s comeback show, even announced the all-British fight on social media for autumn in the UK, which Fury’s promoter Frank Warren quickly shot down.

Backstage, Fury cut a weary figure and took aim at Joshua with his words.

“He didn’t want the smoke,” Fury said. “He came ringside to make the fight. If it was me, I’d have jumped in the ring. Ten years in the making and still there’s uncertainty if it’s going to happen next.”

For more than a decade, Fury-Joshua has never got past the hype. In another industry, a project left in development this long might be considered obsolete.

Now, Team Fury say they have signed the contract, and Joshua hasn’t. The blame game will continue.

There is a danger this will be yet another missed opportunity. The perfect moment belonged to 2019, or perhaps 2021. Now the question is simply – will the sport allow this entire generation to close without ever seeing them share a ring?

Fury and Joshua remain hugely important to the sport. If Joshua is the beating heart of boxing in the UK, Fury is the blood that surges through the veins.

He said he has a three-fight deal for this year but insisted there is only one fight he wants.

“If it isn’t AJ next, I’m not interested in boxing again. It’s either him or I’m gone,” Fury said.

Their rivalry has been a big factor in the heavyweight landscape for years without ever delivering the fight that British boxing craves.

Both men are past their peak, yet the fascination refuses to fade, partly because there are few genuine alternatives.

Moses Itauma is one of the most exciting young heavyweights in years, while welterweight Conor Benn continues to command headlines wherever he goes. Yet neither man commands the spotlight of Fury or Joshua.

Put Joshua and Fury almost anywhere – their strongholds of Watford or Morecambe, or Wembley Stadium – and it would still outdraw most fights on the planet.

“Let’s fight. What’s the hold-up?” Fury said.

There is a case for Joshua taking an interim fight. Fury returned from his fifth retirement with what was effectively a warm-up against Makhmudov, while Joshua has only fought YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in the past 18 months.

That means Joshua could enter a Fury fight having spent long spells away from elite-level opposition, whereas Fury showed that he can still navigate 12 rounds against a dangerous, if limited, puncher.

More importantly, Joshua has also had a traumatic few months outside the ring. A car accident in December, which tragically claimed the lives of two close friends, altered the emotional context around him entirely.

“I was in a serious incident maybe four months ago,” Joshua reminded viewers as pressure mounted on him to agree to Fury’s demands.

A lower-stakes contest could allow Joshua to rediscover rhythm without the suffocating spotlight that comes with a Fury build-up.

Fury is sympathetic to Joshua’s situation. He referenced his mental health struggles and how each fighter will have their own reality to deal with.

“We’ve all had problems – that’s life,” Fury said. “Taking interim fights, you can get chinned by anyone.”

Fury is not wrong about one thing – the wait can’t go on for much longer. The sport has already lived through the cautionary tale of Floyd Mayweather v Manny Pacquiao, which shattered records when it finally happened but fell flat.

Tyson Fury said that he has signed for fight with Anthony Joshua, but that AJ, his great rival, is yet to agree to heavyweight showdown; Fury declared that the fight must be made “now or never”; Fury called out AJ after a comeback win but said: “In my opinion he didn’t want no smoke”

Tyson Fury has demanded that Anthony Joshua accept his challenge and fight him next.

Fury revealed that he has signed for the all-British mega-fight, but that AJ, his great rival, is yet to agree to their heavyweight showdown.

Ever since Fury first became a world champion, back in 2015, and Anthony Joshua rocketed through the professional ranks after his Olympic triumph at London 2012, the clamour to see the two finally square off has only grown.

Over the years that fight has come close to being made and it seemed on the brink of confirmation after Fury won his comeback fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov on Saturday night.

Joshua was seated ringside at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and as soon as the fight was over, Fury addressed him directly, called on the fight and beckoned for Joshua to face off in the ring.

Joshua did not confirm that the fight with Fury was on and did not face off with his rival, though didn’t rule out it could still take place.

Fury however characterised that as hesitation and voiced his frustration. “Openly surprised. He was brought here tonight ringside for a reason, to get in that ring and make a face off and get the fight done. I’ve signed. I signed months ago. I don’t know if he signed,” Fury said.

“He was very evasive and didn’t give no definitive answers,” he continued. “I know one thing. He wasn’t saying yes.

“In my opinion he didn’t want no smoke. He didn’t want it. He didn’t look like he wanted it. He was just shell-shocked. Didn’t know what to say, He came ringside to make a fight. If it was me I’d have jumped in that ring, faced off, let’s get it on.

“10 years in the making and still, after all this time, there’s still uncertainty about if this fight’s going to happen next.”

Tyson Fury marked his return to the heavyweight mix with a composed points win over Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, before immediately turning ringside to call out long-time rival Anthony Joshua.

The 37-year-old Briton – out of his latest retirement after 15 months – was far from Fury in full flow, but had enough ring IQ and technical control to outbox Makhmudov across 12 largely one-sided rounds.

Fury had to be watchful at times as Makhmudov did land occasional overhand rights, but the Russian was largely one-dimensional as Fury took a wide decision with scorecards of 120-108, 120-108 and 119-109.

But before the scores were even read out, Fury invited Joshua into the ring, but his rival refused.

“I challenge you, Anthony Joshua, to fight me next. Do you accept?” Fury said after more attempts to get Joshua into the ring failed.

Joshua, who appeared to film much of Saturday’s fight on his phone at ringside, initially seemed reluctant to engage, before replying: “I punched you up when we were kids and I’ll punch you up again.

“You aren’t going to tell me what to do, I’ve been chasing you for 10 years.

“I’m the boss, you work for me. I’m the landlord. You work for me.”

Fury responded: “You [Anthony Joshua] are next. You are getting knocked out. Believe it.”

A bout that should have happened in both men’s primes, it now lingers as boxing’s great what-if – but it appears it may finally be made a reality.

In his first fight since successive defeats to unified champion Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, Fury moves to 35 wins, two losses and one draw.

For Makhmudov, 36, it was a third defeat in 24 fights.

Fury and Joshua – both two-time world champions – have carried British boxing on the global stage for more than a decade, yet despite years of negotiations and false starts, the fight has never materialised.

Now, though, this feels like their most significant breakthrough yet.

“I have been at this table with him many times. In my heart, I’d fight Fury tomorrow, especially after watching that. There is not a problem fighting him,” Joshua told Netflix.

“I am not here to get clout. I am here to fight. The contract will be sent over, we will go through the nitty gritty, and you will probably see us in the ring next, more than likely.”

Joshua, 36, beat YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in December, before suffering a tragic car crash in Nigeria later in the month which claimed the lives of his two friends.

“I was in a serious incident maybe four months ago,” he added. “I need to really check out what is going on with my return to the ring.

“But I’m here, keeping my eye on the game. I am not ducking anyone, there are just things in my life I need to tend to.”

Most fans argue the moment has passed. Both fighters are now in their late thirties and no longer at their physical peak, but the commercial pull remains enormous.

For all the focus on Joshua, Usyk still looms in the background as a potential sporting detour for Fury, although there is limited appetite for a third fight after Usyk’s dominance across their first two meetings.

Another route could lead Fury towards the winner of the 9 May clash between WBO world champion Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois.

For now, though, Fury has done what he needed. He returned and he won comfortably.

And if the showdown with Joshua truly is next, British boxing may finally get the fight it has spent a generation waiting for.

A long-awaited showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua remains one of boxing’s most talked-about matchups, yet the two heavyweights have still not met in the ring.

Years of negotiations, delays, and shifting plans have stalled the bout. Now, fresh comments from promoter Kalle Sauerland have brought renewed attention to the potential clash.

Speaking in a recent interview, Sauerland suggested the fight could finally take place later this year, although no official confirmation has been issued by either camp. The situation remains fluid, with fans still awaiting definitive details.

In an interview with iFL TV, Sauerland pointed to reports that the fight could be staged in Dublin around September or October.

“You also look at other fights coming up. Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are expected to fight later this year, possibly in Dublin around September or October,” he said.

Tyson Fury has confirmed that a showdown with Anthony Joshua remains his priority fight after his comeback against Arslanbek Makhmudov next month, describing the all-British heavyweight clash as the biggest fight in boxing and saying he would take the chance to knock out his long-time rival over winning another world title,

Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of his April 11 return against Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Fury was unambiguous about his intentions.

“Of course, if it’s a fight to be made, let’s get it done. Let me get Makhmudov out the way, and we’re on. They’re all options because nothing’s promised. The biggest fight for me in world boxing and the biggest fight in the world of boxing is me versus AJ. Even today, even after all these years, it’s still the biggest fight in boxing, it’s still the biggest fight,” he said.

Fury also revealed that while Joshua topped his wishlist, a trilogy fight with Oleksandr Usyk or a world title clash with either Fabio Wardley or Daniel Dubois were also on his radar.

“After that, for me, it would be me versus Usyk, or the winner of them two. Three-time world champion’s pretty good, it’s got a good ring to it. But being a five-time world champion or the chance to knock AJ out, I’d take the chance to knock AJ out. Because once you’ve won all the belts before, which I have, it’s always nice to be a world champion, great. But it’s not the be-all and end-all. I think the fans are more interested in me and Joshua in the street rather than another world title,” he said.

The development comes as Joshua steps up his own preparations for a summer comeback. The British-Nigerian boxer, who stopped Jake Paul in six rounds in Miami in December before being involved in a horror car crash in Nigeria 10 days later that claimed the lives of his friends, personal trainer Kevin Ayodele and recovery therapist Sina Ghami, has returned to full training camp and was recently spotted working alongside Usyk and trainer Iegor Golub.

Promoter Eddie Hearn had earlier this week rejected reports that a Joshua-Fury fight was already signed, insisting there was “absolutely nothing agreed,” though he acknowledged that deep conversations about the bout had taken place before the accident.

Hearn has targeted a Joshua ring return in July, with Dillian Whyte among the names circulating as a potential warm-up opponent.

Usyk, meanwhile, is preparing for his WBC heavyweight title defence against Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in Egypt at the Giza necropolis, and has stated he intends to fight just twice more, including a trilogy bout with Fury.

Tyson Fury has given his honest thoughts on Anthony Joshua training with Oleksandr Usyk, while also assessing the likelihood of their long-talked-about domestic dustup.

‘AJ’ joined forces with Team Usyk ahead of his last outing, which resulted in a sixth-round knockout over Jake Paul in December.

This was Joshua’s first contest since his fifth-round stoppage defeat to Daniel Dubois in September 2024, with many expecting the 36-year-old to face a more credible opponent earlier this year.

Any plans for a rapid turnaround, however, were swiftly scuppered after the Brit was involved in a tragic car crash, where two of his closest friends lost their lives.

The devastating news left many wondering whether he would even resume his career, until it was gleaned that Joshua is currently training with Usyk.

Having returned to the gym, promoter Eddie Hearn suspects his charge will enter the ring this summer, before targeting a potential clash with Fury.

‘The Gypsy King’ has not fought since 2024, when he suffered two points defeats to Usyk, but is gearing up to face Arslanbek Makhmudov at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 11.

After that, the 37-year-old has told Sky Sports that he would be open to a possible Joshua showdown, teasing the recruitment of a heavyweight legend as his trainer after saying his rival’s new set up ‘won’t help.’

While they train at the same facility in Spain, Usyk is yet to appear in Joshua’s corner but could play a more influential role in his next outing, having said he will likely be there for ‘championship’ bouts.