Tyson Fury talks about a possible warm-up fight opponent for Anthony Joshua after the other fighter asked for too much money.
Tyson Fury has shared that he might fight Nelson Hysa in his second comeback match before facing Anthony Joshua later this year. The Gypsy King had an easy win against Arslanbek Makhmudov in April as he started getting ready for a big fight with Joshua.
Joshua is set to fight Kristian Prenga on July 25 as his own warm-up, while Fury hasn’t announced his next opponent for his August fight in Dublin yet. When talking to iFL TV, Fury said that Albanian heavyweight Hysa is one possible opponent this summer. “Nelson’s one of the names being talked about,” Fury said. “He’s a top-ranked, undefeated knockout artist.”
Fury also mentioned that Andy Ruiz Jr. priced himself out of a comeback fight because of money. Ruiz shocked the boxing world when he knocked out Joshua in the seventh round. Joshua won the rematch later that year, and since then, Ruiz has only fought three times, with his last fight in August 2024. If he wants to come back, it will take a bit more time.
“Andrew was contacted about a warm-up fight because that’s all it would be. But he asked for crazy money, stuff they can’t afford. This isn’t a big stadium event, just a simple fight to stay busy. So, yeah, Andy Ruiz priced himself out,” Fury joked.
There’s still no official word on whether Fury will fight Joshua later this year, but if both win their warm-up fights, the big event could happen. Over the weekend, promoter Eddie Hearn said he expects the fight to go ahead, preferably in the UK rather than Saudi Arabia or Las Vegas.
“No date set yet, but the plan is for November. Pick your Saturday in November,” Hearn told Sky Sports. “Mid-November sounds good, but first we need to see Prenga vs. Fury, probably around August 1.”
He added, “That fight can happen in any weather – I just want it to happen.”