Tyson Fury Reveals He Challenged Anthony Joshua Multiple Times Since 2017

KEY POINTS

Tyson Fury bares that he tried to set up a fight with Anthony Joshua in the past
Joshua allegedly turned him down at every turn, says Fury
Fury is currently enjoying his retirement by taking swipes at Joshua and other heavyweights

British boxing icon Tyson Fury is maintaining his contentment in retirement, but that has not stopped him from taking pot shots at fellow Englishman Anthony Joshua.

In an interview with IFL TV, Fury revealed that he had been continuing to pursue Joshua for a major big-ticket fight, but his compatriot turned him down multiple times and the WBC and lineal heavyweight champion went so far as to call him a diva.

“I tried to make that fight six times at least, in my memory, in the last five years and have been unsuccessful every single time because you're messing with a diva who doesn't want to fight,” said Fury as quoted by Boxing Scene.

During the time when Joshua was still the undefeated monster of the heavyweight division, fans and observers were hoping that he would mix it up with Fury to see whose zero losses record had to be taken away.

Then when Joshua shockingly lost to Andy Ruiz in June 2019, as Fury went on to tell, fans were not going to want to see the 2012 Olympic gold medalist take on Fury.

“Then he goes and gets beaten by a cruiserweight (Oleksandr Usyk). That bird has flown. I am the undefeated heavyweight king,” Fury went on to declare.

Fury’s last fight saw him knockout mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte in six rounds, before announcing that he will be retiring from the sport after amassing a record of 32 wins and one draw over the course of 14 years.

He did announce a few weeks ago that he was open to training Joshua for his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk set for August 20, but his fellow Brit pugilist made no comments about accepting the offer.

Despite rumors of “The Gypsy King” considering a return to the ring, Fury himself was firm in his decision to stay retired.

"I'm happily retired and there will always be somebody else to fight, whether it's Joshua, [Oleksandr] Usyk or someone else — [Daniel] Dubois, [Joe] Joyce. Go and find another sucker to fight them all because I'm all out of getting punched in the face for a few quid. I don't need it," Fury stated.

However, Fury may not stay retired after it all as he is expected to challenge the winner of Joshua versus Oleksandr Usyk according to Top Rank CEO Bob Arum.