Fury could face Joe Joyce at Wembley before fighting AJ vs Usyk winner

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Tyson Fury could be set for a return to Wembley to face Joe Joyce, according to co-promoter Bob Arum.

The Gypsy King insists he is retired from the sport after he knocked out Dillian Whyte in April at the national stadium in London. But there is a belief he will be tempted back for a mega money fight against the winner of Anthony Joshua against Oleksandr Usyk, who face off on August 20 in Saudi Arabia.

But Arum, who promotes Fury in the US, has now revealed he would like to see the WBC heavyweight champion in action again before a potential undisputed fight against Usyk or Joshua. Unbeaten professional Joyce, who takes on Christian Hammer on July 2 at Wembley Arena, has been touted as a potential foe for October by the Top Rank chief.

He said: "He's going to fight, he's a fighting man, and I expect Tyson Fury back in the ring before the end of the year. I think if Joe Joyce wins his fight in early July, Tyson Fury and Joyce at Wembley at the beginning of October will do as well if not better – I don't know how you can do better – but as well as the Dillian Whyte fight with Tyson Fury. That will lead to a Fury fight against the winner of Joshua and Usyk."

Joshua and Usyk will head to Jeddah later this summer for a mega money rematch in the Middle East. They've been widely criticised for heading to the country which has been accused of using high-profile sporting events to "sportswash" according to Amnesty International.

Saudi Arabia is desperate to host the undisputed heavyweight title fight and they were close to getting it when Fury and Joshua, who was then WBA, IBF and WBO champion, neared a deal for a £200m fight just over 12 months ago before the Gypsy King was forced into a third fight with Deontay Wilder.

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But now Arum is claiming that if Fury faces either Usyk or Joshua, then he will push for the fight in the UK. He had previously claimed the US could stage Fury against Usyk.

He said: "I'll do the best I can to make sure that fight takes place in the UK because I don't think it's good for boxing to have a fight like that and putting it in Saudi Arabia."

Arum has also refused to rule out Fury facing UFC heavyweight fighter Francis Ngannou in some sort of crossover contest in the future. The event would be money spinning, but if it took place in a boxing ring then it would be a one-sided exhibition.

"I would love to do that fight,” Arum said. “Depending on Ngannou’s contract, we would do it with or without the UFC. That would be a huge, huge event. Ngannou is the heavyweight champion of the UFC and Tyson Fury – I think it would be a huge, huge event.”

  • Boxing
  • Tyson Fury
  • Anthony Joshua

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