Frank Warren emphasized that Fury is eager for a fight before the year ends. If things don't work out with Deontay Wilder, he hopes to set up a match with Anthony Joshua instead. Warren pointed out that Fury was quite disappointed when reports surfaced that the third Wilder fight might be pushed back to February.
Frank Warren said that Fury simply needs to have a battle this year, and should a fight with Wilder does not get hosted, he will hope to face Anthony Joshua inside the ring. The 68-year-old has asserted that the Gypsy King has been left disappointed after reports developed that his scheduled trilogy bout against the Deontay Wilder could be pushed back until February.
This desire for a Joshua fight clashes with the WBC's current rules, which state that the winner of the Fury-Wilder match must face Dillian Whyte before any potential showdown with Joshua can take place.
During a chat with BT Sport, Warren discussed the possibility of the Wilder fight happening in February. He shared that in a short conversation with Fury, the boxer expressed a strong drive to compete this year. Fury is desperate to make the Wilder fight happen by any means necessary. Warren clarified that while Fury wants to stick to the contract, he simply cannot wait until February to fight again.
Warren admitted he was baffled to hear about the potential delay, especially since he hadn't been notified in advance. He felt the decision was abrupt and disagreed with it. Because Fury explicitly told him he needs to fight this year, Warren feels it is his duty as a promoter to make sure that happens.
Warren stated that if the Wilder fight falls through, his priority is to get Fury in the ring with Joshua, mentioning that the two British stars are believed to have a two-fight agreement slated for the coming year. When asked about his preference, Warren didn't hesitate to choose Joshua, noting that this is the matchup the global audience—and British fans in particular—are craving.
Warren is convinced that if BT Sport were to poll boxing fans on the most anticipated fight, the Fury vs. Joshua pairing would win by a landslide. He believes that from both a financial and excitement standpoint, the fight would shatter pay-per-view records and, in a world without COVID-19 restrictions, would easily draw a crowd of over 80,000 people to the stadium.