Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua is ‘the biggest heavyweight fight in the world,’ says Top Rank president Todd DuBoef | boxing news

Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua is the “greatest heavyweight matchup in the world”, according to Top Rank president Todd DuBoef, who believes the fight could finally happen this year.

Joshua returns against Jermaine Franklin on Saturday night at the O2 in London, with the British star admitting he can no longer claim to be the best heavyweight in the world.

But victory over the American could propel Joshua into a big name fight and DuBoef, who plays a prominent role on Fury’s US promotional team, would welcome a blockbuster British battle in 2023.

“I always said it was the fight,” said DuBoef Sky sports.

“Both have big brands, huge fanbases, and luckily they’re both from the UK, so it’s wonderful that your country has been able to produce these amazing boxers.

“That fight is still here and, for me, it’s the greatest heavyweight matchup in the world, because of the personalities and the stories.”

Fury’s future plans remain unclear after talks broke down for an undisputed world title fight against Oleksandr Usyk this month.

“The frustration is for all of us,” DuBoef said. “We’re all frustrated, aren’t we?

“And I think the timing was an issue in trying to make this fight happen. I’m not going to say never, but I think we all want to see that unification, and we all have hope.

“But there was a schedule that was put in place, and he got ahead of everyone and it got really tight. Fortunately, there’s always hope and an opportunity because I think both fighters know really that’s what the sport wants and what they want.

“So the motivation is there, the timing was more of an issue on that.”

But DuBoef insists Fury could still face Usyk and Joshua in the next nine months.

“That’s how we move,” he said. “We move forward with immediacy, and we move forward trying to understand and bring rationality to a situation.

“I think we always wanted this fight for Fury and Joshua, and we wanted to see Fury and Usyk, and Tyson wanted it, and the Warrens, and we worked hard to make it happen.

“I would love to see, and you’ve just set up a great 2023 for the Fury team, if we could get Usyk and Joshua this year that would be fantastic.”