Boxing
Matchroom’s Frank Smith on Joshua vs. Fury: "This Super Fight Needs to Happen"
Matchroom CEO Frank Smith discusses the much-anticipated Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury super fight, explaining why it needs to happen and why Joshua remains a more viable opponent for Fury than Daniel Dubois.
Image Credit: AFP via Getty Images
An all-British super bout between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury is destined to happen, Matchroom’s chief executive officer Frank Smith has claimed.
AJ is a More Viable Opponent for Fury than Dubois
Describing Joshua as a more viable opponent future opponent for Fury than Daniel Dubois, despite being beaten by the IBF heavyweight belt holder at Wembley Stadium last weekend, Smith insisted the Matchroom fighter’s previous achievements and greater commercial appeal means a bout between him and the Gypsy King would resonate more with the public than possibly “any other” contest on the planet.
Although Joshua himself has touted the possibility of a rematch with Dubois, as the former Olympic gold medallist looks to avenge his fourth career defeat, promoter Eddie Hearn also threw the 34-year-old’s name into the conversation surrounding December’s unified clash between Fury and WBC, WBA and WBO king Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia - suggesting the victor should immediately defend the belts against the Watford man.
Asked why Joshua should jump ahead of Dubois in that particular queue - a move which would potentially delay any attempt to crown an undisputed champion following the IBF’s decision to strip Usyk following his triumph over Fury four months ago - Smith told SportsBoom.com: “Knowing AJ as I do, knowing him as a person, I know he would love the Dubois rematch. Tyson Fury? That would be huge as well.”
Let’s see what happens between Fury and Usyk on December 21st. Let’s see how that unfolds.
Frank Smith
Fury vs. Joshua: A Fight Fans Demand
“All of these fights are huge for the sport of boxing and it’s great that we’re seeing them, experiencing that intrigue.”
“Win, lose or draw, everyone wants to see AJ versus Fury. And that’s regardless of previous results involving either of them as well.”
“It needs to happen. People want to see it happen and I’m sure it will. It’s too big not to happen.”
“Both of them, I’m sure, want to be involved in the biggest fights that are out there.”
What Drives Joshua: Titles or Legacy?
Fury, who lost to Usyk when the pair contested all four of the division’s major title’s in Riyadh earlier this year, came close to facing Joshua in 2022 before negotiations between their respective camps collapsed.
After surrendering his WBC strap to the Ukrainian over 12 gruelling rounds, Fury witnessed Joshua’s defeat to Dubois in person before stepping up his preparations for the much-anticipated return with Usyk.
Joshua has also lost to Fury’s conqueror, finding himself on the wrong end of a points decision first in 2021 and then in 2022.
Admitting that Joshua, a former two-time world champion, will ultimately be responsible for deciding how best to resurrect his career, Smith said: “As with anything in life, it depends on what your driving force is.”
“Does AJ want to win money or win the titles back? What’s his best route through?”
“He’s rebuilt himself before after losses. He went straight into a rematch with Andy Ruiz, which was a risk, and put in a much improved performance to win. He knew he could improve on the first performance.”
“He did the same with Usyk and, even though he lost again, it was a much improved performance the second time around. It was a much, much closer fight.”
“Genuinely, people don’t understand AJ sometimes.” Smith added.
“He’s achieved more than 99.9 percent of people in boxing, he’s earned more money than he knows what to do with or could possibly spend and yet he still wants to keep on improving himself - that’s why I’ve got so much respect for him, not only as a fighter but also as a person.”
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.