The all-British heavyweight fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua could finally be on.
Joshua’s management team said in a post on Twitter on Tuesday that its fighter has accepted the terms presented by Fury for a bout on Dec. 3.
That was made known to Fury’s team on Friday, the 258MGT group said, before both parties agreed to halt communication following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday.
“We are awaiting a response,” posted the management team, which said it was speaking on behalf of Joshua along with the fighter’s promoter, Matchroom.
In a video on social media last week, Fury — the WBC champion — said he was willing to offer Joshua 40 percent of the purse for a title fight before the end of the year.
“He doesn’t have any excuses now not to take it,” Fury said. “He can’t say I’ve low-balled him and offered him 20 or 30 percent. I’ve offered (his) people 40 percent — take it or leave it.”
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, said he would be interested in making the fight if Fury’s offer was serious.
The unbeaten Fury appears to have gone back on his decision to retire in the wake of beating another British fighter, Dillian Whyte, in front of around 90,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium in April.
Fury’s hopes of landing a fight with Oleksandr Usyk, who retained the WBA, WBO and IBF belts by beating Joshua in Saudi Arabia last month, were dashed when the Ukrainian said he did not intend to fight again this year.
Fury turned his sights on Joshua, who said after the Usyk fight that he intended to work his way back up to being a three-time champion — potentially facing opponents in the second tier of the heavyweight division — after losing three of his last five bouts.
What would have been a fight to be undisputed champion between Joshua and Fury was close to being arranged last year, only for an arbitrator in the United States to rule that Fury was contractually bound to fulfil a third fight with Deontay Wilder.
Joshua, who was heavyweight champion at the time, then decided to fight Usyk and lost to the Ukrainian in London.
Anthony Joshua accepts terms for heavyweight fight with Tyson Fury
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Anthony Joshua accepts terms for heavyweight fight with Tyson Fury
- Tyson Fury, the WBC champion, willing to offer Anthony Joshua 40 percent of the purse for a title fight before the end of the year
Jones leads after blemish-free 65 at Address Marassi
- Englishman holds 1-shot advantage as 3 players share second at Egypt Golf Series
AL-ALAMEIN, Egypt: England’s Ben Jones carded a bogey-free seven-under-par 65 to take the first-round lead at the Egypt Golf Series Address Marassi Golf Resort 2, the third event of the MENA Golf Tour’s four-tournament Egypt swing.
Jones holds a one-shot advantage over three players at six under — Italy’s Giovanni Manzoni, Scotland’s Michael Stewart and Spain’s Juan Salama — as players returned to the resort course for the second consecutive week.
Jones said: “It was a bit fortunate the first day by getting the right side of the wind and that’s when you have to take advantage of the course.”
“I hit it really solid all day, stayed out of trouble and had no dropped shots, so I’m really happy with that. It’s probably my best round of the year so far and hopefully I can keep that going.
“I nearly holed one on eight and for a second I thought it was in, and then on the final putt of the day I nearly grabbed another birdie. It hit the back of the hole but just didn’t drop. I maybe hit it a little firm because I misjudged the wind down there.”
Scotland’s Stewart said: “I played really nicely today. I felt like I had good control of my ball in the wind, which was really important out there. The preparation over the last few days definitely helped, and last week’s final round was very breezy as well, so that experience carried over.
“I would not say it is getting easier, because it is not, but you do start putting yourself in better positions because you understand the course and the misses a bit more.
“Overall, it just felt like one of those days where I played really solid golf, gave myself plenty of chances, and managed to take a few of them.”
Salama enjoyed a tale of two halves having teed off on the 10th, with six birdies on his back nine, the course’s front nine, transforming his round.
“Six under is obviously very pleasing, but it really felt like two completely different nines out there,” said the Spaniard.
“The front nine was quite tough and I started a little cold with the putter. On the back nine everything clicked, the putter got hot and I was able to make six birdies, which made a huge difference.
“Finishing the round by holing that putt on my final hole was a great feeling and gives me a lot of confidence going into tomorrow.”
Italy’s Ludovico Addabbo, second in the MENA Golf Tour Rankings and alone in fifth at five under, went blemish-free on the card, which included an eagle on the fourth hole and three birdies on the back nine.
Rankings leader Chris Wood, who won last week’s Marassi 1 event in a dramatic playoff, is among a large group at one-over par following an opening 73 as he looks for a repeat win at the venue.
The Egypt Golf Series has $100,000 in prize money and Official World Golf Ranking points on offer. Following this week’s event, the Tour concludes its Egypt Swing at Madinaty Golf Club in Cairo from Feb. 3 to 5.
