ANTHONY JOSHUA insists he will still get to fight Tyson Fury in 2021 – even after accusing him and his team of blowing their summer showdown.
AJ and promoter Eddie Hearn spent almost 18 months working on the all-English undisputed showdown scheduled for Saudi Arabia this summer.
Fury even confirmed the fight was happening.
Then days later Deontay Wilder won his legal bid for a trilogy fight with the WBC Gypsy King and all the plans went down the pan.
Hearn feared last week that AJ was so gutted by the farce that he would never trust Team Fury to turn up for a fight.
But the WBA, IBF and WBO champ believes whole-heartedly that once he deals with mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk in September, they will finally get to set a date for the fight everyone wants to see.
Joshua told Sky Sports: “Unfortunately his team let the whole boxing world down.
“We did everything. During a global pandemic, the toughest time to organise a fight like that, we managed to have 20,000 fans available, a site fee, the media ready, my name was on the contract, I was in training.
“Then boom, they cancelled.
“I stay ready to fight them all because I’m a throwback fighter. I will still be here, still ready to put on a show.
“I am 100 per cent sure that I will fight him and win,”
The Usyk bout is expected to happen at Tottenham’s new stadium on September 18 or 25.
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But, when asked when he feels the biggest fight in British boxing history could happen, he remained bullish as ever.
Joshua vowed he’ll fight Fury by the end of the year, regardless of the outcome against Usyk.
When asked about the spectacle, he said: “End of the year.
“Let me get past Usyk first. But with or without Usyk in my life, I will fight Fury. Usyk isn’t the be-all and end-all.
“Usyk doesn’t determine the Fury fight. The Fury fight has to happen. It’s a big fight, bigger than boxing, bigger than the belts.
“It will happen. After the Usyk fight, after I defend my belts. The fight will be bigger, better than what it would have been.”
AJ accused Fury of being a liar and a fraud when news broke of Wilder’s successful arbitration case and threatened to ‘slap his bald head’.
The months of wasted time and energy had Matchroom boss Hearn fearing all their hard work was utterly wasted after Joshua’s X-rated reaction.
Hearn revealed: “AJ never felt they wanted the fight, he never felt like Fury wanted it.
“AJ, in his head, probably thinks the fight will never happen. I would like to be more hopeful and I think it will happen.”
Despite AJ’s doubts, Fury also claimed the fight will go ahead once he knocks out Wilder.
The Gypsy-King said his trilogy fight with the Bronze Bomber is minor diversion and vowed to get back to Joshua once it’s over.
Last month, while speaking to ESPN, he said: “I’ve got to beat up Deontay Wilder a bit better than I did last time, because he didn’t get a good enough hiding last time.
“This time I’m going to really double, double, treble smash him.
“100 per cent [I’ll fight Joshua]. AJ’s got a big mouth and no substance.”
