Tyson Fury backed to cancel Usyk fight and take on Anthony Joshua instead

It is possible that Tyson Fury may decide to withdraw from his scheduled fight with Oleksandr Usyk and instead pursue a match against Anthony Joshua, a highly anticipated event that would captivate boxing enthusiasts worldwide.

According to former WBA super-middleweight champion George Groves, who faced tough opponents like Carl Froch and Chris Eubank Jr before retiring in 2019, the Gypsy King may not even step into the ring to battle Usyk on May 18.

“Since the beginning, I have maintained that I will only believe it when I see it,”Groves stated in an interview with Betway. “I do not think Fury has ever truly considered facing Usyk in the ring. Despite talking about having 10 more fights, if he were to lose to Usyk, it would be a major setback. It is a huge risk for him to take on Usyk as an opponent. I believe he is secretly hoping that Usyk will not be able to withstand a body shot.”

Despite being scheduled to face Usyk in February, Fury’s plans were derailed by a sparring injury that resulted in 11 stitches to his eye. According to Groves, the aftermath of this incident revealed Fury’s true intentions for his upcoming fight.

After the cut, the fight was postponed and I wasn’t surprised,”he remarked. This made me think that the fight would never take place…

“When Joshua defeated [Francis] Ngannou, we noticed Eddie Hearn [Joshua’s promoter] almost implying that Joshua vs Fury takes priority over Fury vs Usyk. It occurred to me that Fury would likely prefer to face Joshua over Usyk, as he may view it as a less challenging matchup.”

Hearn has made a direct appeal to Fury to defeat Usyk in their upcoming match. According to Joshua’s promoter, a clash between these two British titans would undoubtedly be a monumental event in the world of boxing.

In March, Joshua defeated Ngannou with a powerful knockout in the second round. However, when they faced each other last October, Fury was only able to secure a win through a split decision from the judges.

Anthony Joshua (L) made light work of Francis Ngannou (R) when the pair met last month (Credit: Associated Press)

Groves holds the belief that the contrasting performances of the pair in their individual bouts against Ngannou will lead fans to believe that AJ is now capable of defeating Fury. This is something that Fury will surely want to address in the only manner possible.

According to Groves, there is growing speculation that AJ would defeat Fury based on their recent performances against Ngannou. It would not be unexpected if Fury seeks to prove himself and face Joshua next, potentially leaving Usyk out of the equation.

Usyk may be considering the possibility that Fury could withdraw, causing him to think, “I am unsure if this guy will actually make an appearance.”

The upcoming fight between Fury and Usyk at the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia next month has captured the attention of the entire boxing community.

Despite Fury initially being forced to postpone the first scheduled fight date, the WBC champion has reaffirmed his dedication to the match and stated that he will still be facing Usyk, even if he has a cut eye.

Despite predicting that Fury will win within 12 rounds, his promoter Frank Warren has cautioned the fighter to be prepared for Usyk’s targeting of the cut on his eye.