TYSON FURY is set for fight talks NEXT WEEK with two opponents in the running… but they are NOT Anthony Joshua or Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury saw talks for a four-belt unification – the first in heavyweight history – against Usyk collapse at the 11th hour.
AFPTyson Fury saw talks to fight Oleksandr Usyk collapse[/caption]
GettyAnthony Joshua called to fight Anthony Joshua[/caption]
It leaves the Gypsy King without an opponent but following Joshua’s return victory he called out his British rival.
But neither Usyk or AJ are on Fury’s radar, after his US promoter Bob Arum named Joe Joyce and Andy Ruiz Jr as frontrunners.
Arum told BoxingScene: “Joyce would be a possibility, assuming he gets by the Chinese fighter, because Tyson wants to fight this summer.
“And Andy Ruiz would be a possibility. We’re gonna be talking to Tyson next week.”
Joyce, 37, returns tonight against Zhang Zhilei, 39, and with his eyes on Fury or Usyk’s title.
Meanwhile Ruiz, 33, is yet to fight since beating Cuban Luis Ortiz, 44, in September and still remains advised by boxing mogul Al Haymon.
Haymon’s stable regularly box on Showtime or Fox, but Arum does not see the TV allegiances as an issue for ESPN star Fury.
He said: “If that was the fight we were gonna make, I don’t think Al would stand in the way because we would be offering [Ruiz] a big opportunity, for a nice payday.”
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Joshua, 33, beat Jermaine Franklin, 29, in his comeback bout at the start of April and opened the door to facing Fury after.
It comes after Usyk, 36, was ordered into a WBA mandatory defence against Daniel Dubois, 25, with negotiations ongoing.
So it leaves Fury, 34, without an opponent for his summer return although a win for Joyce over Zhang sets up the Battle of Britain.
ReutersJoe Joyce and Zhilei Zhang facing off[/caption]