TYSON FURY has urged Anthony Joshua to “stop making excuses” and fight.
The Gypsy King called on Eddie Hearn to “make it happen” after Dillian Whyte was brutally KO’d by Alexander Povetkin on Saturday night.
Despite having the upper hand in the opening four rounds, Whyte was caught by a devastating upper cut in the fifth which saw the 40-year-old Russian walk away victorious.
Whyte would have become OFFICIAL WBC challenger had he beaten Povetkin which could have seen him fight the winner of Fury vs Deontay Wilder III.
But with that fight off the table for now, Fury is ready for a tear-up with AJ.
He said to BT Sport Boxing: “Eddie Hearn was trying to protect Joshua, trying to put a hurdle in the way with Whyte.
“The biggest fight out there now is me and Joshua, so let’s make it happen.
“Stop running away, stop making excuses, put your nuts in your handbag and let’s fight.”
Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum said the fight would now take place “without any obstacles” after Povetkin’s shock win.
He told iFL TV: “If Pulev doesn’t beat Joshua and Fury is able to again beat Wilder, then we can look forward without any obstacles to a Fury vs Joshua fight, which is the biggest heavyweight match of our time.”
After his defeat at Matchroom Boxing HQ on Saturday, Whyte called on Hearn to make a rematch with Povetkin in December.
And Hearn said: “We have a rematch clause. The first thing Dillian said when he came out was ‘Get me that rematch, get me that rematch’.
“We have a rematch clause. We will look to make that at the end of the year.
“It’s a huge fight. It’s a very dangerous fight, obviously back to back defeats for Dillian Whyte throws a different shade on it.”
