For years, Anthony Joshua Tyson Fury has been the fight British boxing fans demanded. It was supposed to decide the king of British heavyweights, sell out Wembley Stadium and become one of those nights people still talk about decades later.
After this weekend, the headlines have started all over again.
Anthony Joshua survived two first-round knockdowns before rescuing the fight with a devastating knockout of Kristian Prenga. Tyson Fury comfortably stopped veteran Mariusz Wach after seven routine rounds.
Suddenly, November is back on the table.
Apparently, this is finally the fight we’ve all been waiting for.
Except… I don’t agree.
In fact, if anything, this weekend only strengthened an opinion I’ve held for months.
For me, Anthony Joshua Tyson Fury shouldn’t happen.
That might be unpopular, but if you came to CMBoxing expecting me to repeat whatever the mainstream boxing media are saying this week, you’ve probably come to the wrong place.
I Called These Stay-Busy Fights… And I Stand By It
Before either man stepped into the ring this weekend, I described both contests as little more than public sparring.
Not because Joshua or Fury weren’t trying to win.
Not because their opponents didn’t deserve respect.
But because everyone knew what these fights were really about.
They weren’t about Kristian Prenga.
They weren’t about Mariusz Wach.
They were about keeping the Anthony Joshua Tyson Fury conversation alive for one more week.
I’ve already written about why these fights felt more like public sparring than genuine statements, and nothing I watched this weekend changed my opinion.
If anything, both fights proved exactly why I felt that way in the first place.
Joshua’s Right Hand Changed The Fight… But Not My Mind
First of all, Anthony Joshua deserves credit.
Getting dropped twice in the opening round would have broken plenty of fighters.
He got up.
Stayed composed.
Then he reminded everyone of something we’ve known for years.
The man can punch.
One perfectly timed right hand ended the fight instantly.
That’s heavyweight boxing.
One punch can change absolutely everything.
But here’s my problem.
That one punch also changes the narrative.
Without it, we’d all be waking up this morning asking whether Joshua’s career was finally over.
Instead, because it landed, suddenly people are talking about Tyson Fury again.
Joshua still carries frightening power.
Nobody can question that.
But those first-round knockdowns also reminded us that the vulnerabilities we’ve seen over the last few years haven’t disappeared either.
Fury Did Exactly What We Expected
Tyson Fury’s performance was almost the complete opposite.
He controlled Mariusz Wach.
He boxed well.
He stopped him in seven rounds.
Job done.
But did anybody honestly learn anything new?
I didn’t.
It was exactly the kind of performance you’d expect against an experienced veteran who very few people believed had a realistic chance of winning.
Fury did what he was supposed to do.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
This Isn’t The Fight It Was Five Years Ago
Here’s where I’ll probably upset a few people.
Five years ago this fight would’ve decided the heavyweight division.
It would’ve answered genuine questions about who was the best heavyweight in Britain.
Today?
It feels completely different.
Now it feels like two former champions trying to squeeze one final mega-fight out of careers that are heading towards the finish line.
I say that with the greatest respect.
Both men have had outstanding careers.
Both have given British boxing unforgettable nights.
Both deserve enormous credit for everything they’ve achieved.
But we also have to be honest.
The biggest selling point today isn’t what they’re doing inside the ring.
It’s the names on the poster.
Boxing Waited Too Long
This isn’t a new opinion either.
I’ve already explained why I believe Anthony Joshua Tyson Fury has simply arrived too late.
Five years ago this fight would’ve been absolutely enormous.
Even two years ago it still felt like unfinished business.
Now it feels more like boxing trying to recover something it allowed to slip away through years of failed negotiations, promotional politics and endless waiting.
The sport robbed us of seeing this fight when it truly mattered.
It’s Like Watching Carl Froch vs John Fury
The best comparison I can think of is Carl Froch against John Fury.
Deep down, we all know it isn’t happening.
We all know it probably shouldn’t happen.
Yet every interview…
Every social media clip…
Every rumour…
Every photograph…
Every comment from a promoter…
Somehow pulls us straight back in.
It’s boxing’s version of slowing down to look at a car crash.
You know you shouldn’t keep staring.
You know you’ll probably be disappointed.
But you just can’t help yourself.
That’s exactly where Anthony Joshua Tyson Fury is for me now.
I’m watching the build-up because I can’t seem to look away.
Not because I still believe it’s the defining fight British boxing once promised us.
My Final Verdict
Will I watch Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury if it happens?
Absolutely.
I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t.
But watching it and believing it still matters as much as it once did are two very different things.
This weekend didn’t convince me the fight has suddenly become essential.
It convinced me that my original opinion was right.
Joshua reminded us he still possesses fight-ending power.
Fury reminded us he’s still too good for opponents at that level.
But neither performance convinced me we’re about to see two heavyweights at the peak of their powers.
Instead, I came away feeling exactly the same as I did before the weekend.
With all due respect to both men, Anthony Joshua Tyson Fury now feels like two former champions desperately trying to stay relevant long enough to secure one last blockbuster payday.
Five years ago, this would’ve been the biggest fight in British boxing history.
Today?
For me, it’s a fight I’ll watch because I love boxing.
Not because I believe it’s the fight we’ve spent years waiting for.
Join the Debate
Am I being too harsh, or do you agree that Anthony Joshua Tyson Fury has simply come too late?
Leave your thoughts in the comments below, share this article with your fellow boxing fans, and keep the debate going. Then visit CMBoxing for more honest opinions, in-depth analysis and boxing features that aren’t afraid to challenge the mainstream narrative.